Samantha Shepard First Life
by Desert Sunrise
Summary: Raised by military parents, Shepard knew she would serve; honor & duty a part of her soul. A natural born leader, fiercely independent, she has a hard time sharing control or responsibility with anyone. As a new galactic threat emerges, she must learn how to share the burdens of war before she is buried by them. A shy Asari archeologist might just be the one to teach her...
1. New Kid on the Block

**Notes: **  
**One of my favorite games, but I do not own Mass Effect or any of its characters, I'm just having some fun with it. This is my first attempt at Fan Fiction, so please, all comments and critiques are welcome!**

* * *

Humanity's greatest achievement yet-a successful landing and exploration of the Red Planet in the year 2148, ending with discoveries greater than any rover had ever revealed. Who could have guessed Mars held evidence of ancient space faring civilizations, known as the Protheans? In 2149, we discovered Charon, Pluto's moon, hid a tremendous technology allowing mankind to travel farther than we ever thought possible. It had been theorized for years, but who knew we would ever be able to truly bend space and time to rapidly travel huge distances across the galaxy. The scientists called it…Mass Effect.

The humanity Alliance was getting good at using mass relays to explore the galaxy, reaching farther into space every year. In 2157, we discovered, in truth, what we always afraid to find…we were not alone. An unknown alien force attacked an Alliance outpost on Shanxi and resulted in what became known as the First Contact War. After a series of battles, the war was stopped by a multi-species government we now recognize as the Citadel Council. Responsible for preserving peace and stability, they intervened and we suddenly found ourselves thrust onto a galactic stage much larger than we ever realized existed. Eight years more of poking into space, trying to learn how to relate to the variety of races we were suddenly confronted with, in 2165 humanity was recognized as a council race and granted an embassy on the Citadel. It was a huge step forward, and a number of other races, who had been part of the galactic community centuries before us, felt after only two decades we were too young for such an honor. Some extreme cases felt neglected, mistreated, resentful…and angry.

In 2183, a joint Human-Turian venture birthed a new prototype ship, the SSV Normandy, a frigate with advanced stealth technology. On board is Captain David Anderson, ship's captain, and Commander Samantha Shepard, executive officer, along with Turian Spectre Nihlus Kryik, an elite agent for the Citadel Council. The Normandy's first shake-down cruise is two-fold; a mission to retrieve a newly discovered Prothean beacon from a human colony on Eden Prime and delivery it to the Mars Archive, and a chance for Spectre Kryik to evaluate Commander Shepard's potential to become the Council's first Human Spectre.

As the Normandy approaches Eden Prime, a video transmission shows Alliance soldiers ground-side, under heavy fire, with a huge airborne dreadnought in the background sky. The dreadnought is like nothing any of them have ever seen, and as the video feed gets abruptly cut off, they all realize this mission is not going to be as simple as everyone expected.


	2. Out From Beyond the Veil

The four-man ground team consists of Nihlus Kryik, Spectre; Corporal Richard Jenkins, soldier; Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, biotic; and Commander Samantha Shepard, Vanguard. A Spectre is an elite Special Tactics and Reconnaissance agent, who is not bound by standard galactic law, and who carries out special missions for the Citadel Council. They are considered above the law and are generally given complete discretion over how they accomplish the missions assigned to them, but Spectre status can be revoked by the Council in cases of gross misconduct. As a standard soldier, Cpl Jenkins is a tough combatant, trained in a wide variety of standard weapons, who relies on martial arts, physical prowess and mental conditioning to outlast and outfight the enemy. A primary force troop wearing heavy armor, jumping right in to the thick of the fight, he normally carries a standard issue assault rifle. Lt Alenko is a practiced biotic, able to manipulate dark energy with his mind to create a variety of effects to shield, move or destroy objects in the physical realm. Biotics move light and fast, so wear minimal armor and carry only small weapons. Vanguards are deadly soldiers with the added bonus of biotics, known for their high-risk high-reward combat style. With the augmentation of a biotic charge, Commander Shepard is able to close on an enemy with extreme speed and incredible force, killing them with heavy melee and hand-to-hand combat, frequently before the enemy is able to bring a weapon to bear. To maintain a balance between speed and front-line contact, she wears medium armor and carries both a shotgun and a submachine gun or heavy pistol.

As a Spectre, Nihlus is used to working independently, so he moves out silently through the shadows to scout ahead and try to locate the beacon. Shepard and her team move down the primary pathway to try to locate the research station where the beacon was discovered. As the team comes to the crest of a hill, Shepard squats and puts her fist up to indicate a hold. She scans ahead and sees three attack drones in the distance; her fist changes to three fingers up, and then points one out to Lt Alenko. Suddenly the world explodes in motion. Alenko tosses a biotic throw at the selected drone, Shepard throws a second drone and they both roll out of cover with weapons drawn to finish the third. However, when Shepard and Alenko launched their biotic attack, Jenkins dashed out of cover, firing his assault rifle in the direction Shepard indicated, finishing off Alenko's target…unfortunately for him, the third drone was still unaccounted for, and rapidly riddled Jenkin's exposed self with armor piercing rounds. _Son of a ….! Those rounds cut right through heavy armor! _"Kaidan, be sure you keep your barrier up, seeing as our armor might as well be damn tissue paper! Mark Jenkin's location, so we can send a recovery team when this is all over. No one gets left behind, but we've gotta move!"

Shepard grimaces as they clear the crest, not five minutes into the mission and already down a man. Definitely not a good day. _I hate writing those damn next of kin letters. _Moving on, the next stretch is relatively uneventful…finding more dead marines, salvaging spare thermal clips and medigel, trying to not look the dead in the face. Just a few klicks more and they start to hear gunfire, drawing closer by the second. Slapping her helmet to indicate take cover, she runs forward to some rocks to find shelter. Moving from cover to cover as quickly as possible, the gunfire continues to draw closer. Finally working around one last corner, she sees a lone marine performing a fighting withdrawal, greatly outnumbered by battle mechs of a type she'd only seen in history vids. _What the hell? Geth? They haven't been seen outside the Veil for over 200 years! _"LT, let's save that marine!" Focusing on the nearest mech, Shepard calls on her biotics for her first charge of the day and blasts to the front, throwing the targeted mech like it was just hit by a 10-ton truck. Alenko tosses out a singularity, drawing five of the remaining mechs into a floating pile in space, totally defenseless and easy pickings for his pistol. The tired marine whoops with a newfound sense of hope, picking off the remaining two mechs with her sniper rifle and breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"Alenko, forward cover while I have a chat with our new friend here." The marine hustles over to Shepard and snaps off a sharp salute, "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212, ma'am." Shepard does quick introductions and then asks Chief Williams for a situation report, quickly realizing the 212 has been pretty much wiped out and the synthetics are here in force. Williams is tired, but in good form and still able to fight. She, in turn, gives the Chief a quick summary of events from her perspective, and then asks her to join them in the recovery of the beacon. A cold fire kindled in Williams' eyes, "Happy to lend a hand, ma'am. With your help, those damn robots are gonna pay for what they did to my squad." Gathering Alenko, they set off as a threesome once again. Shepard contacts Nihlus on the radio, updating him on the situation. He responds quickly, confirming her identification of the synthetics as Geth, and states he is approaching the tram to the space port. While Shepard secures the beacon, Nihlus will cut off the departure location to make sure the Geth don't try to take it off world. The team sets out with a simple prod, "Chief, take us to the beacon."

They crested a hill and Ashley stopped dead in her tracks; they had reached the dig site, and there was no beacon to be found. "Sorry, ma'am… they must have already prepped it and moved it to the space port." _Crap, we're way behind the power curve here… _"All right people, we've got to pick up the pace and catch up to Nihlus at the space port. Let's move it!" Progressing much more quickly now, they were almost out into a clearing atop the next hill before they saw the Dragon's Teeth…tall metal spikes, with bodies impaled on them. They weren't really bodies anymore…more like a husk with no skin, held together by tubes and muscle. Kaidan's face went white as he surveyed the scene...no way to help them now. Shepard waved to continue past the gruesome sight, but as they began moving forward again, the closest spikes started to lower, retracting into themselves and disgorging the bodies stuck upon them. That in itself was bad enough…then the husks started moving.

All the husks started moving toward the Alliance soldiers, first in faltering steps but gradually smoothing out and picking up speed, almost as if they were suddenly relearning how to walk... then run! A pair of soulless metallic eyes focus on Shepard and she yells, "Shit, those things are no longer human! Take 'em out!" The next 60 seconds are chaos. Husks attacking in animalistic melee, trying to gouge them with hands that more resembled claws, gunfire ripping the silence to shreds, and Shepard, in full biotic mode, charging from husk to husk, slamming into them with incredible force and finishing them with point blank shotgun blasts, bouncing from target to target like a pinball. After what seems an eternity of battle, she whirls around, quickly scanning for her next target, realizes there are none, and drops to one knee, panting with fatigue. Ashley Williams stands in awe, finding it hard to believe what she just witnessed...she's now seen the hero of Elysium in full glory and quickly realizes the reports she had read didn't even come close to the real thing. "Damn... ma'am," and extends her hand to help Shepard back to her feet. Slamming an energy drink to replace her power reserves, Shepard motions for the group to continue on toward the beacon.

They finally approach the tram station and realize it's crawling with Geth. On the high ground with plenty of cover, it's rather easy pickings for Williams and her sniper rifle. Alenko makes it easy for Ash to pick them off, tossing out singularities that suspend the Geth, helpless, in mid air. Shepard tosses a warp out at one particularly large group and the singularity explodes, throwing Geth parts all over the station. As they cross the station to get to the tram, Shepard pauses, her eye catching on the inert form of Nihlus... her bad day just got worse. _What the hell, Nihlus? Spectre killed by a single gunshot to the back of the head? No helmet? _There is nothing at all right with that picture. A sound off to the side catches their attention, and three guns train instantly on a figure emerging from behind a stack of crates. "Hey! Human here! Don't shoot me, please!" After a brief standoff, they realize the human they are looking at is not only a coward and a smuggler, but is also someone with critical information...another Turian, called Saren, is responsible for Nihlus' death, and has already taken the tram over to the loading docks. "Damn it! Let's move it people! I'm afraid we're going to be a day late and a dollar short to make this work!"

First thing Alenko sees when they jump off the tram at the docks is a demolition charge. A quick scan reveals four such bombs, and they're set to go off in just five minutes. Shepard jumps to it, while Alenko and Williams provide cover fire. Moving from bomb to bomb proves difficult with more Geth constantly flooding into the area, but somehow they make it through, with seconds to spare as the commander disables the last device. They work their way up the final ramp to the docks, take out the last few Geth, and approach the beacon...amazingly still sitting on the docks. Ashley comments on the fact that it's glowing, obviously been activated since it was moved. "Wasn't doing anything like that last time I saw it, ma'am. It was just a big chunk of metal, totally inert." As she steps closer to check it out, the beacon arcs out, and suddenly Williams is being pulled in toward the beacon, no matter how hard she struggles to free herself. Shepard charges in, knocking Ashley out of the pull of the beam, but fares no better in her attempt to escape as the beacon lifts her into the air. Suddenly assaulted by horrible visions of death and destruction being pounded into her head at an ever increasing velocity, her body arches in incredible pain. Shepard hears a primal scream and realizes from a feeling of fire in her throat it's herself making that horrific noise, before her world goes dark.


	3. Unacceptable Revelations

Visions of a reality not her own assault her senses. Synthetics at war, destroying everything in their path, races unfamiliar vanishing from worlds unrecognized. Mass destruction, fire, pain. Screaming in agony, in realization that they are watching the extinction of their species, totally unable to comprehend the magnitude of the enemy, even as they begin to understand the inevitability of their own annihilation.

Shepard's eyes fly open as she scrambles to grab her weapon to fight some unknown enemy. Alarms start ringing, and Dr Karin Chakwas is immediately at her side. Samantha hears that familiar, crisp British accent, a little more forceful than normal, a bit stressed. "Commander! Relax! You're back on the Normandy, in the med bay. Take a deep breath and lay back down, please!" Shepard frantically surveys the room, taking everything in at a glance, and stares at Karin as she eases herself back prone. "What the hell happened? How'd I get back here?"

"Alenko and Williams brought you back. What's the last thing you remember, Commander?"

"Trying to keep that damn beacon from drawing me in. The thing made my head feel like it was going to explode!"

"Well, something exploded, but it was the beacon, not your head. It tossed you a good distance in the process, but you escaped with just a dislocated shoulder, a mild concussion and some scratches and bruises. You don't remember anything else?"

Shepard notes the tone of that last question and wonders what the Doc is getting at. "No, that's all I remember, but what aren't you telling me, Karin?"

Doctor Chakwas sighs, "Well, a minor concussion does not explain the 15 hours it took for you to wake up, nor the unusual brain activity you were registering for the majority of that time. Physically, it was like you were in a coma...totally nonresponsive to outside stimuli, even though the anesthesia wore off hours ago, Mentally, your brain activity said you were wide awake, involved in some very intellectually demanding task. It was off the charts. You seem wide awake now, if you feel alright, why don't you sit up."

Samantha eased herself into a sitting position, dropping her legs over the side of the bed, and narrowed her eyes in contemplation. "15 hours? Well, I may have an answer to that. Kind of... I was dreaming. No, not really. More like having a nightmare, but it wasn't. When I got close to the beacon... it... I don't know. It's like it was jamming pictures into my brain, and it just kept getting faster and faster, until I couldn't keep up. That's what made my head want to explode. Then they just kept replaying over and over in my mind. That's what I woke up to. They weren't very pleasant pictures."

The door on the med bay opened and Capt Anderson strode into the room. "How's my XO doing, Doctor?" He glanced quickly between the two, then focused on Shepard. Karin gave him a quick rundown on Shepard's physical condition, then continued, "and we were just starting to discuss her nightmare, or beacon images, whichever you want to call it." Anderson quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. So, Samantha explained what she remembered of the visions. "It's all very disjointed. I have no idea what it means, and I didn't recognize any of the places. Since it's a Prothean beacon, I assume the majority of the people I saw were Prothean, but there was more than one race." She paused, then her head snapped up and she blurted, "By the way, how's Alenko?"

"He's fine, Commander, as is Chief Williams. We couldn't very well leave her on Eden Prime alone, and both she and Alenko needed some minor medical treatment, so everyone's on board. Based on Kaidan's mission report and personal recommendation, we're going to keep the Chief on crew. Heard she's a hell of shot with that sniper of hers, and good in a fight."

"I concur, Captain. She lost her whole squad, but she didn't let it stop her...she stepped right up. Though, I'm sure someone's going to want to talk to her about that before they complete transfer paperwork to the Normandy."

"Don't you worry about that, Commander. Dr Chakwas did an initial evaluation, and William's paperwork is already waiting for Admiral Hackett's signature at the Citadel. Which, by the way, we should be at very shortly. The Council is going to demand a full accounting. Geth attacking Eden Prime, a Council Spectre dead, and the beacon we were sent to recover completely destroyed. Not exactly a textbook operation by any standard. They want answers, and Saren isn't an easy scapegoat. He's a Spectre."

Shepard's face turned beat red, suffused with anger. "You've got to be kidding me! Saren's a Spectre? All we have is the truth! They can't turn it around and lay that shit on us! Geth? Geth! Beyond the Vail! And led by a damn Spectre to boot! Intel really dropped the ball on this one, Sir. We had no idea what kind of cluster fuck we were walking into!"

"At ease, Commander! No one said anything about them laying this on you. They just need to know what happened. I've had run ins with Saren before, and he's the Council's golden boy. And no matter who we're talking about, they aren't going to take the word of a smuggler against a Council Spectre, especially since you never actually saw Saren to confirm any part of the story... And Geth haven't been seen in centuries...no way intel could have predicted that one unless they had a damn crystal ball. Now, get yourself cleaned up and get some food in your stomach, we've got an appointment with Ambassador Udina."

Shepard hung her head, lowering her voice as she said, "Sir, before you go... about Jenkins... he was inexperienced... I should have watched him closer...he was a good soldier."

"Don't worry about that, Commander. He was a Corporal, not some fresh recruit. You have your own job out there, you can't be doing every soldier's job on top of it. Plus, not having any idea when you were going to wake up, I've already taken care of next of kin notifications. We're taking his body to the Citadel...from there, Alliance will take care of getting him to his family.

* * *

After getting in a shower and into a clean uniform, Shepard walked into the mess hall to see Alenko and Williams sitting together at a table. After grabbing a cup of coffee and something remotely resembling lasagna, Shepard pulled up a chair, and stuffed chow in her face while starting a conversation. "Hey guys, how you holding up?" Ashley glanced at her with a guilty look on her face. "I should be asking you that, ma'am. You're the one that got blown half way across the loading dock, all because I got too damn close to that thing."

"Ahhh, no worries, Chief. It's nothing you did. I make a habit of that...just ask the Doc how many times she's put me back together after a mission. That one was a walk in the park. By the way, when we're off duty or in private conversation, it's just Shepard. No ma'am, no Commander. Just two folks having a chat."

"Yes, ma'am. Ahhhh, sorry. Might take me a while to get used to that. You can just call me Ash. And thanks, for helping me take back Eden Prime from those tin cans. I still can't believe...my whole damn squad... Shit! Sorry."

"Hmph. Sorry, twice in the same speech. Unacceptable Ash. You've got nothing to apologize for, unless you sent the Geth an invitation, and I'm pretty sure we can pin that one on Saren. We all took a beating today. Losing good folks is never easy, but we're soldiers. It's an unfortunate fact of life. Doesn't mean we have to like it, but we do have to live with it...just promise yourself to do better next time. Don't let their deaths be in vain. If you want, I can help you with next of kin notices..."

"No, ma'am. I'm on that one. I knew them all, knew their families. It's on me to take care of them, best I know how...but thanks for the offer. I...oh, never mind, you know."

"Yeah, I do. Anyway, get some rest, both of you. We're headed to the Citadel to meet with the Council, and Anderson says it's not going to be pretty, so dress up nice and bring your best behavior. I think we're going to need it. Well, I've got a report to get done before we hit dockside. Later!" Shepard dumped her dishes in the cleaning bin and headed off to her room.

Ash looked at Kaidan with wonder on her face. "She always like that? Up close and personal with her crew, that is?"

"As long as I've known her, which I have to admit hasn't been long. But, I've never heard a bad word from anyone she's ever worked with. Doc Chakwas has great things to say about her, professionally that is, she's not much one for rumor mongering. Personally, Shepard seems very reserved. Hard to get to know. Everyone else sits around bullshitting while playing cards or relaxing, and she's always been pretty private. Other than her military record and chats like the one we just had, I don't know much about her."

"Well, her record certainly speaks for itself! Damn, when she blasted by me today and played ping pong with those husks... holy shit that was impressive! I mean, I knew she was the Hero of Elysium, and that she's a Vanguard, but didn't really think about it, ya know?"

Neither Kaidan nor Ashley realized that Dr Chakwas had strolled up with a cup of tea. "Don't let her hear you raving on like that. She'll call you on it, tell you she's just doing her duty, and it's not your job to discuss it. You're right, Kaidan, she is very private. She'd make a good Brit. Both of you should respect that. It will take you far in her eyes." Both soldiers looked like three year olds caught with their hand in the cookie jar, as Karin chuckled and returned to her office to finish up her medical reports.

* * *

When they were 15 minutes out from the Citadel, Shepard left her cabin and walked up to the bridge to get a view of the huge structure as they came into dock. No matter how many times she'd seen it, it was always impressive. To think it was still a functioning piece of technology left over from the Protheans empire was enough to spur interest in the otherwise dead culture, for her at least. But then again, she was a student of history, so maybe that wasn't necessarily saying much. Joker was harassing Kaidan when she walked up, so she stopped and leaned in the doorway, not speaking.

"Soooooo, LT, find anything in your extranet search? I mean, come on, I know you spent some time today with the two nicest asses on the Normandy, but really? Searching on 'Ashley Williams naked' isn't going to get you anywhere other than in hot water!"

"What? How?... And what are you doing, shadowing my extranet terminal?"

Joker could hardly contain himself. "How else am I going to be able to afford a nice bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy and support my porn habit, if you aren't buying them for me...right LT? I mean we are coming into the Citadel, and the Presidium has some pretty nice stores..."

"Has anyone ever told you you're an ass, Moreau?"

"All the time, LT, all the time. Speaking of ass... So, you were following the Commander's mighty fine ass around quite a bit today, so your opinion is highly qualified. I hear that in real life, it's...

"Standing right behind you, Flight Lieutenant."

Joker momentarily froze, then slowly turned in his chair to find the source of the ominous sounding voice, which turned out to really be right behind him. _My life as I know it is now over._

"Oh, um, hey, Commander. Didn't hear you come in..."

"Apparently not, since you seemed to be having quite the time conversing about Chief Williams, and let's see... what else? Oh, yeah. My. Mighty. Fine. Ass. No worries, boys. Seeing as we're approaching the docking bay, we don't really have time for all that paperwork right now do we. However, once back on board, we are going to have the cleanest kitchen, bathrooms, and trash chutes in the Alliance Fleet. And if I don't find them satisfactory, you get to do it again, and again, and again, until I do. Have a nice day. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed flying Alliance Air." With that, Shepard turned and left the bridge.

_Shit shit shit shit shit! Moreau, you are such a freaking moron!_

* * *

Shepard enjoyed walking into Udina's office. Not because she particularly liked the Ambassador, but because when they entered, he was in a particularly 'animated' discussion, his arms flailing, and he was getting his ass handed to him by the Council. Served the self-centered political toadie right. _I hate politicians._

As the call ended, Udina turned to Anderson. "Bunch of self-absorbed jack asses. They refuse to believe their wonderful Spectre could have anything to do with this. They won't suspend his Spectre status, but at least they are willing to hear us out." He paused in his tirade and took in the whole scene before him. "Did you really feel the need to bring half your crew with you for this meeting?

Anderson calmly replied, "Only those who were on the ground at Eden Prime, Ambassador... just in case the Council had any questions about what was in the mission report."

Udina sneers, "I think they've done quite enough to call our chances at a human Spectre into question...but if you insist. Our meeting with the Council is in two hours, Shepard. Be there then and not one second later. I assume you know how to read a chrono? Dismissed." Shepard just looks at the Ambassador in amazement at being discharged so indifferently. She looks to Anderson, who nods and points to the door with a quick movement of his head, while giving her the 'I know he's an ass' eye roll. Shepard turns smartly, and catching Alenko and Williams attention, they step back out into the hall. "Well, that went well!" Shepard chuckles. "Guess he had to beat up on someone for the whipping he took from the Council. At least he got us an audience. Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into in two hours, shall we?" Little did they know just what all lay in store for them.

They had barely gotten outside, when they heard a voice call out Ashley's name. The three turned to the sound of the voice, and Ash turned extremely pale, and whispered, "Samesh?" Noting Ashley's reaction, Shepard quickly stepped between the man and Ashley, quite efficiently blocking his access and looking quite imposing for her small stature. Dropping her hand to her pistol, she stared him down and demanded, "Who are you and what the hell do you want with one of my crew?"

Ashley quickly came to his defense, "no, Commander, it's OK. I know him... I served with his wife on Eden Prime. She... Nirali Bhattia was part of the 212..." Shepard blinked and apologized, the steeliness of her eyes immediately softening in understanding. "My condolences, sir, I understand the 212 fought heroically to protect the civilians on Eden Prime. I'm sorry for your loss." She then quickly stepped back so the two could talk. All the bodies from Eden Prime had been brought to the Citadel, but for some reason, Nirali's body was not being released, and they wouldn't tell Samesh why. Ashley gave the commander a searching look and Shepard stepped up to the implied request for help. "Mr Bhattia, who said you couldn't take Nirali home?" Samesh, tears streaming down his face, looked at her. "Please, Commander, I need to bury her. I need to bury my wife. The man's name is Clerk Bosker, and he's in the Embassy Lounge right now, a table just across from the main door. He's dressed in a purple suit."

Samantha looked at Kaidan. "You're here. Do not leave Mr Bhattia alone. Ash, you're with me." Commander Shepard turned sharply and headed with determination straight to the lounge, making a beeline to the man in purple. "Clerk Bosker? I believe we need to have a chat."

"I'm extremely busy right now, so if this isn't an emergency, please call my office and make an appointment," not even bothering to look up from his datapad.

Shepard glared, and with a low voice said, "I'm Commander Samantha Shepard and my associate is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, Alliance Navy, and we didn't fly across the galaxy from Eden Prime to waste anyone's time, Mr Bosker." Bosker's head snapped up and he subconsciously tugged at his collar. "C-commander Sh-Shepard? Yes, of course. What can I do for you, ma'am?"

After a brief discussion about unique Geth weapons signatures needing to be studied, and the needs of research and development, it seemed Bosker was no closer to releasing the body to a grieving husband. Bosker finally stated flat out, "Commander, we need that body to develop better defenses against Geth technology." After putting up with the disrespect from Ambassador Udina, Shepard was done with bureaucratic bullshit and leaned very much into Bosker's personal space, resting her hand on her pistol grip. With eyes like daggers and a voice that dropped to the pits of hell, she spoke. "Let me make myself perfectly clear, Mr Bosker. I was at Eden Prime. We left uncounted dead Geth and all their weapons laying all over the ground from one end of Eden Prime to the other. You have plenty of material to work with for your precious R&D, without holding ANY human remains back from their families. You are not a body on a slab with a grieving widow needing to bury you to get on with their life, so you obviously lack a fundamental understanding of that pain. That knowledge deficiency will be remedied if I don't hear from a very thankful Mr Bhattia by the end of today. Do. We. Understand. Each. Other?"

Bosker was suddenly trembling and sweating profusely. "Y-yes, ma'am. I... I need to m-make some c-calls, immediately!" Shepard stepped back. "Make them, Clerk Bosker, and you better hope I get a thank you from Mr Bhattia by the end of the day. If we need to discuss this further, I won't need my voice." She quickly turned and walked out of the lounge. Ashley quickly followed two steps behind, thinking of how the Shepard who sat down and had an easy going chat with her troops at lunch was so much in contrast to the pissed off Commander Shepard she just saw with Bosker. She prayed THAT Commander Shepard never had any reason, ever, to be mad at her! Combined with the biotic display she had seen on Eden Prime, that woman now scared the shit out of Gunnery Chief Williams, and that wasn't a thing easy to accomplish.

When they got back outside, Shepard wheeled around to Ashley and took a long, slow deep breath to relax. "Williams. That conversation never took place. I will never hear so much as a peep of any part of what I said to that man. Understood?" Ashley didn't say a word, just vigorously shook her head yes. "Good. Now, let's go talk to Samesh." When they got back to Samesth, they found him and Kaidan sitting on a bench. Shepard knelt down so she could look him square in the eye to inform him he would be getting his wife's body back before the end of the day. She reached across to his omnitool and punched some data in. "That's my personal number. One way or another, you call me before the end of today and let me know what happens, OK? We'll get this fixed. I promise." Samesh looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Commander. I never expected to get help like this from a complete stranger. I am honored that would take the time to assist me." Shepard patted his knee, then stood up, signaling Kaidan to give Samesh and Ashley some privacy, and they walked a short distance off to the side while the two friends consoled each other in their loss.

Ashley rejoined them after a short while, and they still had over an hour to kill, so Shepard decided it was time to hit a bar and drink a toast to everyone lost at Eden Prime. She was still pretty upset over the whole Bosker stupidity, but that wasn't the only thing. Over time, she had developed a pretty good sixth sense that had kept her alive over and above all her training. It had been yelling at her loud and clear ever since they met Samesh, but she just couldn't nail it down. Wanting to stay out of the crowds, Shepard directed them down a back alleyway. As they rounded the last corner before the dingy bar, Chora's Den, three mercenaries popped out of hiding. Shepard was already on edge, so as soon as she saw the first assault rifle coming up, she pulled up a barrier. Without hesitation, Ashley's sniper rifle snapped out and Kaidan was throwing a singularity out over the merc closest to them. Ash polished that merc off with her first shot, while the commander was pulling out her Locust submachine gun and nailing merc number two. Mercenary number three wasn't so foolish. His rifle came flying out over the wall, and a disembodied voice said he wasn't getting paid enough to die. Two hands came up over the wall and he slowly stood up. Ash trained her sights and said, "I've got him, Commander. Do whatever you need to do." Shepard pulled up her tech armor just to be safe, and walked toward him, never dropping her Locust SMG. "Who sent you?" The merc laughed. "Like I'm gonna tell you that. If I do, I'm dead." Shepard raised her eyebrows. "No, if you do, you can hide. If you don't, you're dead."

"You won't kill me in cold blood."

"Let's see." She points. "Merc kill number one." She points again. "Merc kill number two." She points her SMG at his knee. "You can't run and hide if I cap you. You'll go to prison. Whoever sent you will know you failed. You'll die in prison...or worse. I don't need to kill you, just keep you from getting away, and that's pretty much in the bag. So what do you say, Merc number three? Saren? That's my guess... The real question is why."

"I say, fuck me. They don't pay me to know why." He suddenly dives out to the side and pulls a pistol out from his back as he's rolling. As soon as he stops moving and goes to point the pistol, Ashley takes her shot and his head snaps back from the impact on his forehead, just before he collapses dead on the ground.

"Well, damn. Thanks, Ash. More guts than I gave him credit for. Maybe just desperate. So much for our free time. Drinks later guys, let's finish up and get to the Council or we're going to be late."

* * *

The Council audience is a complete waste of time. Captain Anderson hit the nail on the head when he said they wouldn't take the word of a smuggler over that of one of their Council spectres. Not to mention that Saren is actually present at the hearing via hologram, dripping in sarcasm, deriding Shepard as a screw up, and questioning why he needs to defend himself against nothing more than the nightmares of an incompetent Alliance officer. After the hearing, Udina is livid, not only because of the results of the Council audience, but also from the political blowback from Shepard's open gunfight in the wards. The only thing positive to come from the visit to the Council chambers was a conversation they overheard on the way in the door, between the Executor and a Citadel Security officer, Garrus Vakarian. Garrus was adamant about needing more time for his investigation into Saren, and the Executor said he had no more time to give; the audience was occurring as they spoke, and there was no delaying it.

Anderson agrees the C-Sec officer may be a good lead, and he might just know how to find him; they need to go talk to a suspended C-Sec officer by the name of Harkin...who hangs out at Chora's Den. He also recommends Shepard talk to a financial expert named Barla Von...he's an agent for the Shadow Broker, the top information broker in the galaxy. The information might be expensive, but with a disgraced C-Sec officer as their only other lead, they don't have a lot of options. The commander is disgusted with the whole process, just wants to get off the Citadel, and decides to divide and conquer to speed things up. Since she has the Normandy expense account, Shepard takes the information broker, and sends Kaidan and Ashley back to Chora's Den, admonishing them to be extremely careful. Fortunately, the second trip to the Den is much less eventful. With a bit of friendly persuasion, a little bit of time, and a few rounds of drinks, Harkin finally points them to a small medical clinic in the wards, run by Dr Chloe Michel.

Barla Von doesn't really have much in the way of information, but he does have some actionable intel. He points Shepard to a Krogan bounty hunter, name of Urdnot Wrex, currently on a not so voluntary trip to C-Sec. On the way out of the financial district, Shepard is approached by an Asari maiden, saying she has a very important message from the Consort Shar'ira. Shepard snorts, "What's the Consort want with me? I've heard getting in to see her is near impossible, and the waiting list for those who do make the list is almost a year long." The acolyte agrees, but assures Shepard the Consort wishes to see her immediately, as she has a task for which Shepard is uniquely qualified to handle. Figuring Wrex, as a 'guest' of C-Sec, probably isn't going anywhere fast, she makes time to accommodate the Consort and see what this task is all about.

Shepard is whisked immediately into the Consort's chambers, not quite sure what to expect. The Consort, while very gracious, is all business. She informs Shepard that a friend of hers, a Turian general named Septimus, wanted more from her than she could provide as a consort. In his disappointment, he has begun to spread lies about her that will eventually negatively impact her reputation. If Shepard could somehow put a stop to such activity, the Consort tells her she would be very grateful and reward Shepard accordingly...and he just happens to be drinking his life away in Chora's Den. Shepard is to return to her after the task is complete to receive her reward.

As Shepard leaves the Consort's chambers, she calls Kaidan to find out how they made out with Harkin and to tell them about Septimus. Kaidan and Ashley are taken by the irony in their situation. Their first job was to get Harkin drunk so he'll spill the info on Garrus; now they have to turn around and keep Septimus from drinking, so he won't spill info on the Consort. The second job actually turns out to be both less expensive, and easier. Septimus is a high ranking Turian general, and Kaidan and Ashley, as fellow military members, just need to remind Septimus about duty and honor. They eventually convince him to make himself back into what an honorable General should be. He agrees, and then offers them a reward for helping him clean up his mistakes. Because of certain actions Septimus has taken, a certain Elcor diplomat believes Sha'ira to blame for certain 'secrets' getting out about the diplomat, so the Elcor is in the process of lodging a complaint against the consort. Septimus offers up a datapad, and a delivery fee. All they need to do is deliver the pad to the Elcor, and explain it was Septimus who released the data, not the Consort. Kaidan agrees to do it, since he knows the Embassy offices are right above C-Sec and Shepard is already on her way there, anyway.

Kaidan calls Shepard back, giving her the update on Septimus, and the follow up info for the Elcor diplomat. Shepard just growls, "Christ, can nothing be as simple as it sounds on the face of it?" and agrees to go upstairs and take care of the Elcor, while Kaidan and Ash go catch up with Garrus at the clinic. They find the clinic easy enough, but as the door opens they see Garrus crouched down, hiding behind a wall, and a merc up close and personal with someone they assume is Dr Michel. "Listen Doc, we don't want to hurt you, but we need to make sure you don't tell anybody about the suit rat. Simple enough, right? You talk, you die. Easy." The merc hears the door, grabs the doc and puts a pistol to her head. Two more thugs standing in the background move to cover behind some supply boxes and a desk. As soon as they heard the threat while walking in the door, Kaidan pulled his pistol and Ashley her assault rifle. Ash just laughs. "Really? You're gonna kill a doc? You shoot her, we shoot you. Our guns are bigger. We're wearing armor. We win. Game over."

"There's three of us, only two of you." This time Kaidan chuckles. "The funny part is, there's three of us too, you just don't know where the third one is, and for you... that is a serious problem."

The gunman falters for just a moment, searching rapidly with his eyes for the elusive third gunman, and that's all Garrus needs. Popping up, he fires his weapon and the merc holding Dr Michel collapses to the ground. At the same time, Kaidan throws a shockwave across the room, knocking the other two thugs down with crashing boxes and a suddenly mobile desk being shoved hard into them. Ashley takes care of them before they even find their feet again. "Nice shot, Vakarian."

"Nicely played, Lieutenant, but I believe you have me at a disadvantage." After brief introductions all around, they get to Dr Michel and the reason the thugs were there in the first place. Apparently, a Quarian by the name of Tali'Zorah nar Rayya came into the clinic with a gunshot wound. She is in possession of audio evidence of Saren's connection to the Geth attack on Eden Prime. She intended to sell it to an agent of the Shadow Broker, named Fist, but Garrus says work on the street is the agent has been bought by Saren. They all agree they need to find the agent before he finds the Quarian. Kaidan and Ashley look at each other and realize they have to catch up to Shepard...fast! They head out the door, and Garrus is hot on their heels. "Don't think you're gonna take that bastard down with me! I'm right behind you!" Kaidan, once again, is hot on the omnitool, placing a call to Shepard.

Shepard arrives at C-Sec, and hears Wrex giving the officers a hard time. "You can't arrest me for thinking about killing Fist. I haven't done it yet." She stops and steps back outside to take Kaidan's call. All thoughts of Wrex fall by the wayside and she jumps in the mass transit shuttle to get to the wards as fast as she can. She meets up with the crew just outside Chora's Den...and Wrex shows up while they're going over the game plan. Wrex literally growls at them, "What are you all doing here? I don't want you messing with my bounty. Shadow Broker's paying me good money to make Fist dead." Shepard looks at Wrex and fully recognizes a Krogan Battlemaster when she sees one. Having him on their side will definitely be to their advantage. "Listen Wrex, I don't give a crap about Fist long term, but I need some info from him before that happens. Help us get the info, and Fist is all yours."

"Why should I care about you and your info?"

"Why? Because Fist knows we're coming, has the place locked up tight with a couple dozen guys inside, all fighting from defensive positions. Getting in won't to be easy alone, even for you, and this info we need is important...like save the galaxy from a rogue Spectre with an army of Geth, important."

"Well, shit. If you put it that way, sounds like a fun fight...and I'm not talking Fist's chumps. I'm talking the army of Geth. That's a worthy battle. Give me Fist when you're done with him and let me come along for the whole ride and you've got yourself a deal."

Shepard grinned like a kid in a candy store. "Urdnot Wrex, that's the best deal I've gotten all day! Names Shepard, by the way. We'll introduce the rest later." Fist and his men had no idea what hit them. A small army of thugs had no chance against two biotics, two snipers and a Krogan Battlemaster. Hardly even a tale worth telling. Once they got into the office, Fist coughed up the info pretty quick, thinking it was going to save his skin. Unfortunately, he realized too late that the Shadow Broker bounty was nonnegotiable. Shepard grabbed up Fist's data disks, thinking the info would have some future trade value, maybe with Barla Von, and the team headed out...they had a tight timeline. The Quarian was to meet Saren's agents in one of the back alleys within the next five minutes.

Tali was pacing back and forth in the alley, wondering where her contact was. They were late, and it made her nervous. She'd already been shot once since coming onto the Citadel, and her prospects of actually surviving this whole scenario weren't looking good at the moment. Thinking she heard something in the back of the alley, she quickly glanced back over her shoulder, but then heard a voice from in front of her, so her head snapped back around.

"Did you bring it?" A large Turian suddenly materialized in front of her, way too close for comfort. _Where the hell did he come from?_

"Who are you? Where's Fist?" _This is looking worse by the minute, you naive little girl!_

"'Oh, come now, surely you didn't think Fist or the Broker would handle this in person now, did you?"

Tali heard a noise behind her again, and she glanced back to see two Salarians with pistols ready. _You Bosh'tet! _Suddenly, her hand flipped out and launched a flash-bang grenade toward the Salarians as she rolled back away from the Turian, but the explosion was not what she expected...

Shepard and crew rounded the corner, weapons drawn, just as Tali flicked her wrist. "Shit, already in play," Shepard yelled, as she charged the Turian in a flash of blue biotics. Kaidan launched a singularity and Ashley, Garrus and Wrex obliterated the two Salarians in an instant. The Turian was caught off guard, but reacted quickly. Knocked back by the charge, he pulled his shields up as he fell, before Shepard could get off her standard shotgun kill shot. Shepard realized she was in trouble; the charge depleted her biotic reserve, so she had no barrier, a shotgun that was useless against the Turian's full strength shield, and same Turian with a Carnifex Hand Cannon aimed point blank at her chest. _Shit._

As soon as Tali had rolled back, she had started working furiously on her omnitool. Suddenly it sparked to life and pulsed, the Turian's Carnifex suddenly overheating and becoming completely and utterly useless. That bought Shepard's team time to initiate their second round of attack, and the entire team brought their fire to bare on the single remaining target, first collapsing the Turian's shield, then riddling his body with holes and turning him into a very dead corpse. Shepard whooped, and with a big grin on her face, shouted back over her shoulder, "now THAT'S what I call back-up, people!"

She spun on her heel and faced Tali. "Either you're Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, or we just saved the wrong Quarian. I'm Commander Shepard, and that gaggle behind you is the ground crew from the Alliance Frigate SSV Normandy. We need your help. We need your evidence against Saren."

Tali stared at Shepard in amazement. "Keelah! Is there anyone who doesn't know what I have on my omnitool?" Shepard laughed and shook her head. "Trust me Tali, we are not just anybody, and you are the first light in a long dark tunnel we've been walking for quite some time now. First priority is to get you safe, then you can show us what you've got."

"Well, you did just save me, so I guess I owe you at least an explanation." Shepard, Tali and Alenko headed back to the Ambassador's office, sending everyone else back to the Normandy and calling Capt Anderson along the way and requesting he meet them at Udina's office. The Ambassador was none too impressed when Shepard showed up in his office with yet one more alien in tow, but quelled his complaints when he figured out the advantages the information presented him. Tali's info proved Saren's involvement with the Geth and the planned attack on Eden Prime, revealed the participation of a powerful Asari, Matriarch Benezia, and then added a twist to the plot; apparently this whole plan by Saren is an attempt to locate some ancient technology, referred to as the Conduit, with an end goal of bringing back the return of the Reapers. That sum of knowledge led to many things-Saren's spectre status was revoked and handed to Shepard, with the mission of pursuing Saren into the Terminus System. To complete that mission, Capt Anderson had to step down as Commander of the Normandy and turn the ship over to Shepard, along with two starting leads. First, finding Geth probably means finding Saren, and there are reports of Geth on the planets of Noveria and Feros. The second lead is an archeologist and Prothean expert, Dr Liara T'Soni, who just happens to be the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, and is somewhere on the planet Therum.

As they are boarding the Normandy, Shepard thinks about the images the beacon stuffed into her head. Synthetics... _Reapers?_ wiping all those lives from the galaxy. She heads to the bridge. _If we don't stop Saren, this is going to get bad. Very, very bad._


	4. Dr T'Soni, I Presume

"Joker, set a course to the Artemis Tau cluster, Knossos system. Destination Therum. We've wasted enough time playing bullshit political games. I'll only say this once. I know they gave Anderson the shaft on this deal, and I aim to make him proud. Let me know when we're two hours out." As Shepard turned to leave, Joker spoke up. "uh, Commander? I don't want to over-reach here, but we... the crew... we know what happened, and we don't blame you for it... and we're all behind you 100 percent. I can give you an open mike if you want to make a ship wide broadcast...?" Shepard stopped and sighed. "You know what, Flight Lt, that might not be a bad idea." With the start of her announcement, every single person on the Normandy stopped what they were doing and listened to the voice over the comm.

"This is Commander Shepard speaking. We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you. This mission isn't going to be easy. For too long our species has stood apart from the others. Now it's time for us to step up and do our part for the rest of the galaxy! Time to show them what humans are made of! Our enemy knows we're coming. When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us, but we'll be ready for them too. We need to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every species in Citadel Space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all... we will stop him!"

As soon as she was done, Shepard went to her room and packed up what little personal gear she had. As much as she hated it, she needed to move to the Captain's quarters of the Normandy. She felt guilty as she approached the door, feeling she should be stopping and knocking, but with every pair of eyes in the Normandy on her back, she opened the door and stepped through without hesitation. She looked around and absorbed it all in. It was different than she remembered. Having it be yours gives you a different perspective than when you're called in to speak with the Captain. She glanced at the stack of paperwork waiting on the desk and thought about the mission and crew at hand. Under the pretense of the Normandy now being a Spectre, not Alliance, ship, she had shoved some new crew members down Udina's throat. What a motley bunch. A Turian, ex C-Sec officer, from conversations thus far, who seems like he might be one to bend the rules; have to keep an eye on that, make sure they bend but don't break. A Quarian...young, but seems pretty intelligent, has a good head, and a knack for tech gadgets. Could come in really handy for hacking and overloads. Then Wrex. A Krogan Battlemaster for God sake! Nothing like bringing a towering biotic tank on board. As long as we give him good targets so he doesn't get bored, he should work out just fine.

_Ok, Therum, what do we know... _Mining colony, heavy metals, a Prothean ruin...which must have significant data to attract the daughter of a Matriarch. Ah well. Not much really there about it. So how about our mystery archaeologist? Daughter of a Matriarch, born 2077_... hmm, 106...young by Asari standards..._ and raised on Thessia, graduate of University of Serrice, dual Doctorate in History and Archaeology. _Wow, real academic...dived right into archaeological digs, no university playtime for her..._Written a dozen papers on various Prothean topics... _nothing on the Conduit, but a couple on the Prothean extinction? Those might be worth a read... or at least a skim..._ The two papers that caught Sam's eye were 'Vanishing Protheans: A Single Event Within the Galactic Archaeological Cycles of Extinction' and 'Theorem on Prothean Extinction Through Resolution of the Fermi Paradox via Exclusionary Evidence.' The executive summary of the second paper really caught Sam's attention... it basically stated that by ruling out all the routinely proposed causes of the Prothean extinction through logic reasoning, only one solution remained... that the Protheans were driven to extinction and had all traces of them systematically erased by a race of sentient machines. _Sentient machines? Is there a connection between the Geth and the Reapers that Saren is exploiting? Are the Reapers a 'who' or a 'what'? Ugh. _ Shepard realized she still had a pretty good headache, unsure if it was still lingering from her supposed minor concussion, or if it was because she was crazy enough to actually read those Prothean treatises...either way, she was done for the night. As she drifted off to sleep, she was thinking it was time to find this Dr T'Soni.

Commander Shepard was watching a battle, the immensity of the enemy making her totally impotent to influence its outcome. Huge ships that looked like giant black squids filled the air, creating havoc and mass destruction, fire, and pain. A huge red eye turned hungrily toward her, and something that resembled a plasma blast worked its way toward her, annihilating everything in its path. Samantha seemed unable to move, and with a final swing the beam was upon her, searing the flesh from her body. Screaming in agony, Samantha threw herself to the side in an attempt to escape, and found herself on the floor of her room next to her bed. _Freaking nightmare! Ever since that damnable Prothean beacon I can't close my eyes for two seconds without seeing that shit! _ With pain pinching her eyes, Sam rubs her temples, knowing full well there will be no more sleep this night. With a sigh of resignation, she gets up and takes a shower, eventually turning to the mountain of paperwork sitting on her desk. She stays there, working, until dawn.

* * *

_Geth outside the Veil! By the Goddess! Focus, Liara, focus! _She leapt over one last barrier and ducked around a corner, kneeling down trying to catch her breath. Liara was used to fending off the occasional mercenary or pirate group, but never in her 50 years of research had she ever come across Geth! Worse part of the whole deal was this dig site had only one entry that she knew of, so there was no getting around them; that didn't leave her many options. She felt her best chance was to hide, and hope they got tired of the chase and left. It would have to be soon... she left her pack and her pistol back at the main chamber, which left her with no supplies...no water, no energy bars, no weapon. _stupid stupid stupid! _ And now, she was starting to get tired...no way to replenish the energy she had used up with her biotics and she couldn't hide long down here in this heat with no water. Dehydration would be a big problem fast. A sudden thought gave her hope. _Maybe if I can reach the Prothean barrier curtain? No way they'd get past that, and maybe they'll give up and leave?_ The chase had caused her to lose track of exactly where she was, but she couldn't take time now to figure it out... she could hear her pursuers closing what little bit of buffer distance she had. Using what seemed to be close to the last of her reserves, she bolted out of her cover and dashed up the tunnel in what she hoped was the right direction...

"Getting tired of chasing you, Doctor! I'm not known for patience!" _That is NOT a Geth! _Liara chanced a glance back over her shoulder as she rounded a corner. _Goddess! A Battlemaster? Can this day get any worse? _She involuntarily ducked as a shotgun blast chipped off the rocks right above her head, urging her to put on a little bit more speed. Her target came into view and she skidded into a cell, not even slowing down until she grabbed a control panel to stop herself. _Goddess! I forgot about the central elevator... if I can get the barrier up, I can use the elevator to get to the surface! Assuming of course I live that long and can figure out the controls!_ Pulling up the holographic interface, she started keying in the sequence to initiate the barrier. Just then, the Krogan Battlemaster rounded the corner and bellowed, releasing another shot from his shotgun. Again, Liara ducked, inadvertently dragging her hand through the panel's holographic control interface as she did so, making the panel flash red... _Oh,_ _Goddess, what did I just do? _At first, she was relieved as the wonderful barrier shimmered into position, effectively blocking out the Krogan and his Geth followers...but her temporary relief vanished in the next instant, as she felt herself abruptly lifted from the floor and suspended mid air, fixed in position with all her limbs outstretched. The Krogan lifted his shotgun, pointed it at her head, and fired. Liara winced, and then relaxed as the barrier absorbed the blow without even a flicker. The Battlemaster roared in frustration. "You worthless pyjak! I will find a way in there, and when I do, you will regret the day you were born!"

Liara had great faith in the Prothean barrier, but now had to face the reality of being trapped in some form of Prothean security device, with no food, no water, and in a ruin that was located next to a mostly dormant volcano. She was very concerned, not about a potential eruption, but because of the elevated temperatures from the nearby lava flows...she knew she would die from dehydration and the heat stress long before the volcano was due to erupt again. _My mother always did say my curiosity would be the death of me..._ Liara was suddenly very much aware she would probably die here, without ever leaving this cell... Fatigue and thirst finally got the best of her, and Liara floated in and out of consciousness. Every time she woke, she was aware of the Geth banging, shooting, digging...they were being very persistent. Maybe she needed to worry about them finding a way in after all...she lost all track of time and the day _days?_ stretched seemingly into eternity.

* * *

Shepard hated dark tunnels. Poorly lit mines were no exception. Coming in from the daylight, highlighted with the light at your back made you a perfect target, and your eyes couldn't adjust fast enough to the darkness to see crap down the tunnel. _They can see me, but I can't see them. Sucks!_ This one was particularly bad. It was a dig site entrance, not even a working entrance, so the lighting was extra poor...lovely. Plus it was just for people, not heavy equipment, so it was narrow, not a lot of room to maneuver. Wrex had to be feeling positively claustrophobic! They continued to work their way down the ramp, when Shepard saw flashes from below.

"Incoming!" Shepard and Wrex both through up their barriers simultaneously, and even with the double barrier, she was tossed backward when multiple rockets struck the barrier all at the same time. She grunted in pain when she landed on her previously dislocated shoulder, and it was none too happy to be receiving new abuse. Not hesitating, she sprang back to her feet while Wrex charged off down the ramp, leaving Garrus and her trailing behind. Wrex's shotgun blast lit up the tunnel and Shepard immediately launched a singularity at the rocket launchers lit up by the blast. The Geth fired off one more round before the singularity reached them, and Shepard leaned hard into her barrier...this time she was ready, so was not thrown back with the impact. As soon as the rockets detonated against the barrier, she threw a warp field up and the singularity exploded, tossing the Geth rocket troops aside and clearing the path forward. They were far enough into the tunnel now that the backlighting was no longer an issue, and they worked their way methodically down into the dig site. Garrus' sniper rifle easily took down standard troopers, and Wrex and Shepard took turns on singularities and warps, accompanied by the occasional charge and shotgun blast, to eliminate the slightly larger threats.

They finally emerged into a small chamber, and it seemed like the end of the line until Garrus pointed out an elevator back in a dark corner. It seemed to be the only viable option, so they hesitantly climbed in and hit the button... the elevator groaned and started downward, sounding like it had definitely seen better days. It was still a couple meters off the deck when it ground to a stop. _So much for that, guess we have to find another way back to the surface!_ Wrex booted the gate open and they jumped down the last bit, onto the floor of a relatively large cavern. They worked their way around the corner on the ramp, and encountered a few more Geth, which they quickly dispatched.

Liara heard the elevator and instantly feared the Battlemaster was returning, though she hadn't seen him in she didn't know how long. She had assumed they had given up and left. Then she heard gunfire and shouting...definitely not Geth, and definitely not the Krogan. When it got quiet again, realizing she had nothing to lose at this point, she took a chance at trying to contact them. "H-hello? Can you hear me out there? I... I'm trapped... please... I need help!" Three figures walked around the corner to where she could just barely see them through the barrier. _Goddess, it is the Krogan! No, a Krogan, but different. With... a human?_

"Well...howdy... you seem to have yourself in quite the predicament there. Dr T'Soni, I presume?" "Um. Well...Yes. I am Liara T'Soni... How do you...uh...know...?" Liara stammered and fell silent.

The Commander cocked her head, contemplating, then decided to try something and continued, rather bluntly. "I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy, Council Spectre. Your mother is wanted by the Council for treason, for working with rogue Spectre Saren Arterius and a Geth army, to attack the human colony of Eden Prime. Are you working with them?"

Liara was obviously startled. _Surprised we know, or just surprised?_ "I am NOT my mother, and I have no idea what you are talking about. My mother... she does not approve of my chosen profession, and we haven't spoken in decades. We are estranged." From her forlorn tone, it was apparent to Sam that the Doctor was distressed... it hurt her to talk about this, and while remorseful for having been so direct with her questioning, it told Samantha what she needed to know. _OK, so Dr T'Soni is unaware of her mother's business dealings with Saren. Don't know if that's good or bad, could have used some intel..._

"Hey, OK, I'm sorry for treading on what must be a sensitive subject... how'd you get yourself into your current predicament, anyway."

"Oh Goddess, I was attacked by Geth... they have a Krogan Battlemaster with them! I ran in here to activate the barrier and the Krogan shot at me... I hit something wrong on the panel when I ducked... and well, you see the result. I cannot move...please, you must help me get out of here!"

"You're pretty trusting, Doc. I'm a Spectre who bacically just accused you of treason by working for or with your mother and Saren. How do you know I'm not here to execute you?"

Liara blinked. _Would she... no, if she was here to kill her she wouldn't be wasting all this time talking..._ "I am trapped, but I am not an idiot, Commander. You are Alliance. You killed those synthetics, but have yet to try to kill me. That means you are either here to rescue me or arrest me... either is preferable to this."

Samantha chuckled. "Good call, Blue. At least you're keeping your wits about you. So any suggestions on how to get you out of there?"

_She's laughing? I fail to see the humor in this situation!_ "The control panel is on the stand behind me. I'm just not sure how you are going to get to it. You have to find some way around this barrier. The Geth have made multiple attempts and have not succeeded yet. The barrier is resistant to weapons and biotics. I don't know what to tell you." The Asari sounded very sad and very tired, and Shepard was starting to feel a little bit of urgency in the situation.

"OK. Piece of cake. Get around the barrier, play with the control panel, turn everything off, we all go home. No sweat. Oh, and maybe dodge a few Geth on the way out. And we have our own Krogan Battlemaster here, so that's no skin off my nose. Hang tight, Blue, we'll be back soon"

_Hang tight? Was this human humor? Making jokes at her inability move? Goddess, I know nothing of humans!_

Before Liara could respond, Commander Shepard and her crew dropped out of sight, and Liara suddenly felt inexplicably lonely. Shepard, Wrex and Garrus took a look around the cavern they were in. It was multi-level, and there seemed to be a large open central column behind the Doc. They just needed to figure out how to get to the other side, other than through the barrier. That's when Wrex saw the really big mining laser. "Hey, Shepard! Look at what we have here! Why don't I just blast a hole through the wall? We don't need to go through the barrier... we'll just tunnel straight through the rock!" Shepard laughed gleefully. "Oh, Wrex, I knew I liked you for some reason! A fellow warrior who likes really big guns! Go for it, my man!" A brief rumble later, and Shepard was standing behind Liara at the barrier control panel, punched a couple of buttons and the barrier and biotic field both collapsed, dropping Dr Liara T'Soni unceremoniously to the ground with a yelp of surprise and pain. _For the love of God, Shepard, a little warning next time maybe? _Shepard ran over to her, apologetic. "God, Doc, sorry about that. Should have warned you." Samantha put a hand on her shoulder to help her sit up. "Wow, you're hot... you feel OK? How long have you been in there? Shit, never mind... here, have some water." Shepard handed her a canteen and Liara started chugging. "Whoa, slow down there... you'll send your system into shock! Slow and easy, Doc, let your system adjust...you'll be alright now, we got ya covered..."

"Commander, how did you get back here, and how did you turn off the barrier so quickly?"

"Well, Wrex here just used the mining laser to tunnel through, then we climbed up the back side to access this level. As for turning the barrier off, well, the buttons are pretty obvious, don't you think?" Liara looked very confused, but there was no time for questions, as the ground suddenly rumbled and rocks started pelting down from the ceiling. Liara looked panicked. "The mining laser must have triggered seismic activity, these tunnels are very unstable! We have to get out of here! Now! The elevator behind us links up to the walkway leading outdoors!"

"Alright people, you heard the lady, time to move!" They ran to the elevator and Liara started it's motion upward. Samantha handed her helmet to Liara and told her to put it on.

"But Commander, I don't have a hard suit... no seals, no point..."

"Just do it T'Soni! You're too drained to generate a decent biotic barrier, and I don't want to have to carry you out of here when you get whacked on the head with a rock. Besides, the filtration system will help you breathe a little easier. You're still panting from the heat. Need I say more?" Liara just shook her head and put the helmet on. By the time the elevator reached the top, the ground was seriously shaking and the metal walkways were bucking, making running difficult. "Run!" Shepard yelled, shoving Liara in front of her after Wrex and Garrus. "Joker, lock on my signal and get here ASAP! We've got a fucking volcano chasing us!" Shepard did not wait for a reply, and starting running for her life. She caught up very quickly to Liara, stumbling along, her exhaustion and dehydration obvious. Once Shepard saw daylight, she called up her biotics, scooped up Liara, and charged up the ramp in a flash of blue power... right into a Krogan Battlemaster who was NOT Wrex.

"Thanks for delivering my worthless pyjak bounty, human. Saves me a bunch of trouble."

"Oh hell, no. I'm not outrunning a volcano just to hand over my prize, Mr Ugly. She's mine and I plan on keeping her." Shepard shoved Liara down behind a rock shelf for cover and pulled her shotgun. Wrex came rocketing out of the tunnel, throwing a warp as he came. The 'other' Krogan deflected the warp, but it took his focus off of Shepard long enough for her to regenerate her barrier and get off the first shot. It weakened the Krogan's barrier, but did not drop it, and he retaliated with a warp thrown at Shepard. The Krogan was way too close, and the warp hit her like a steam train. She felt her barrier drop and she flew backward into the cliff face. Her already strained shoulder couldn't take anymore and she felt it pop as she hit the ground. She screamed in pain and rage, and rolled back to her feet as Wrex dropped the Krogan's barrier with a shotgun blast, then Garrus put a sniper shot into the center of his chest, but the big Krogan still didn't go down. Shepard grimaced, lowered her dislocated shoulder and biotically charged the Krogan, smashing into him and knocking him over the edge into the abyss.

Tears of pain streaming down her face, Shepard stood up as the Normandy hovered off the edge of the cliff. Garrus jumped on board and Wrex had just half-tossed T'Soni up onto the loading ramp when an explosion rocked the hillside and part of the cliff gave way. Wrex jumped to the Normandy and Shepard took a running leap... and fell short. Time slowed down. Shepard looked down and saw molten lava streaming from the hillside... _Guess I didn't outrun that volcano after all. _ Suddenly, she was surrounded by blue biotics and she felt a tremendous pull that yanked her into the back of the Normandy docking bay, smashing into Dr T'Soni. Shepard saw tendrils of blue power fading from Liara's hand as they crashed to the deck. Their eyes met briefly, and Samantha would have sworn she saw the start of a smile on Liara's face before the good doctor passed out and her eyes closed. Shepard rolled over, and sat up, yelling at Joker to get them into orbit, away from this damnable volcano.

She managed to get to her feet in time to see Dr Chakwas give her the old standby British glare before Karin knelt down to look at Dr T'Soni. "Wrex, can you please carry Dr T'Soni to the clinic." She then stood and turned a withering glance on Samantha. "And you, Commander Shepard, will follow me directly to sick bay, or you won't see duty for a week... if you're lucky." Sam started to smile and make some witty comeback, but her smile died on her lips when she saw Dr Chakwas' expression. "And for every bit of lip I get from you, I will add an extra day to that bed rest slip. I don't care if you sit for a month, Commander. I will not repair that shoulder for a third time. My office. Now." Karin turned sharply and stalked to the elevator without a backward glance. Of course, Samantha Shepard stepped smartly behind, knowing full well she had used up this month's full ration of the Doctor's good will.


	5. Collecting Information -- With Interest

Samantha grunted in pain as she popped up onto her least favorite spot in the med bay...an exam table. She watched keenly as Karin gently removed her helmet from Dr T'Soni and set it to the side. Karin administered a general anesthetic, and after a cursory scan and gentle undressing, first started an IV drip, then tended to the multiple cuts and contusions that littered the battered looking Asari. When she was complete with everything she could do at this moment to help Liara, she laid a light sheet over the Asari and turned with a glare for the commander. She suddenly realized the commander was being unusually contrite _and quiet_, the fatigue and pain showing clearly on her face. Interestingly enough, the Commander wasn't focused on her at all, but on the Asari now sleeping somewhat restfully on the exam table next to her, her face pinched with concern. Karin's gaze softened a bit, understanding their unique relationship allowed her to see a side of the commander those under her command would never be privy too, before she drew the Commander's attention with "Now, Commander, let's see to that shoulder, shall we?"

"Yeah...uh...sorry, Doc. I know you're pissed at me, but there was this big Krogan...oh, never mind. Just give me my 40 lashes and be done with it.. and tell me Dr T'Soni's going to be all right?"

"She'll be fine, Commander. No major injuries, just extreme dehydration and mild heat exhaustion. I administered a general so she'll rest easy while I get some fluids back into her. She'll wake up hungry in a couple of hours, but that's about it. Your level of concern for others is quite admirable, Commander, but it does drive you to extremes sometimes..." Karin was actually a very efficient trauma doctor, and had Shepard's shoulder back together in no time, gently shooing her out of the med bay so Liara could have some quiet. "Three days light duty, Commander. No argument. We need that shoulder healed before you go out again." _And maybe I'll actually get these medical records caught up without the commander adding anything else to her file!_ "I'll be back in a bit, Doc, to check up on T'Soni... couple hours. See ya then!" Shepard flashed her tell tale charming grin, grabbed her helmet, and ducked out of the med bay before Chakwas could issue any type of retort.

Shepard made the rounds, checking up on all her ground team and making sure they were all settling in OK. When she got down to the armory, she was confronted by Ashley. "Hey, Shepard, can we talk?" Samantha had been waiting for the Elysium questions, and the 'how do you deal with everyone around you dying' questions, so the request didn't really surprise her. However, when Ashley spoke again, she was caught off guard, because it was not anything she expected. "I'm concerned about all the aliens... you know... having free rein on the Alliance's most technologically advance ship in the fleet. I mean, are we a ship or an Ark? We've got a Krogan, a Turian, a Quarian... and now an Asari with connections to a known traitor? It's just too much!"

Anger flashed across Shepard's face before she schooled her expression. "What the hell, Ash? You a xenophobe? Member of 'Earth First'?" Before Ashley could answer, Shepard continued. "Don't answer that, I don't care what your personal affiliations are, you have the right to believe what you will, but keep 'em personal. They're aliens, not animals! That attitude won't cut on the Normandy...not as long as I'm in command, anyway. First off, this is a joint Turian-Alliance vessel. What the hell are they going to gain by sending a spy along with us? They helped build the damn thing. Wrex could give a crap about the Normandy... I don't think he's been anywhere but the shuttle bay and the mess hall... all he wants is a ride to the next worthy rumble. Hell, Tali gave us the evidence that got us here in the first place, and you, of all people, should not be judging Dr T'Soni because of someone she is related too!" At that statement, Ashley looked shocked. "Oh, don't give me that look, Ash, it's not like this is my first command! Yes, I know all about your grandfather, and him being the only Alliance commander to surrender during the First Contact War...what, you think I wouldn't check up on the history of every single member of my crew?"

Ashley was dumbfounded. "So you know about my Granddad and you're not trying to transfer me back groundside?"

"Hell no! You're a great soldier, Ash, and I refuse to judge you by your Grandfather's actions, which by the way I agreed with, and I don't give a fuck if some senior leader took it upon himself to personally see you never got anything but junk assignments because of it. You've earned your place here. But on the flipside, I expect you to give every other crew member on board this vessel, including Dr T'Soni, the same courtesy. Am I understood?"

Ashley was silent for a moment. "Yes ma'am...I...I guess I didn't think about it that way. Thank you. Permission to return to my duties?"

"Granted. And Ash, a piece of career advice. You're a Chief-start thinking that way." Shepard turned and headed back upstairs toward the med bay to check in with the Doc. _Un-freaking-believable!_

* * *

The door to the med bay swooshed open and the commander stepped quietly inside, her eyes coasting to the peacefully resting patient, that simple act somehow soothing any anger she felt at Ashley, even though the two events were totally unrelated. Karin had the lights low, and the shades were drawn to eliminate any distractions from the mess hall, probably with the intent of giving the sleeping patient some semblance of privacy. Now that Samantha had a chance to take in the full measure of the Asari who was Dr Liara T'Soni, without barriers, falling rocks or angry Krogan between them, it dawned on her consciousness that Liara was a very pleasant looking Asari. _I could get used to looking at that, real easy on the eyes._ Shepard was puzzled by what she felt when in her presence... relaxed? No, more than that... what she felt was contentment. Samantha couldn't remember the last time she felt...well, just plain contented. _Odd...I don't even know her. How can I really feel anything towards her other than curiosity?_ Karin noted the expression on the commander's face with a mixture of amusement and perplexity. What was the commander thinking? The closest word Karin could come up with was...awe? "Commander?"

"Oh, yeah... um, sorry, Doc. How's she doing?"

"Still resting peacefully. I expect she should be waking up any time now. The drugs are out of her system, so she's in natural sleep at this point. She must have been exhausted. Who knows how long those Geth had been chasing her around those tunnels down there... and that heat had to be wearing... Commander, you OK?"

"Yeah, thanks, Karin. I'm just a bit... confused. Got a minute?"

"But, of course, Commander. Whatever you need. Unless we're in the middle of a triage, I always have time for you, you know that."

"I'm puzzled by this one. When I think history and archeology, I think of little old men with papers piled around them, timid and bookish. Not a young Asari who's a biotic dynamo."

Karin chuckled. "Biotic dynamo...? Really, Commander. A bit fanciful, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah... Karin, but listen. You have no idea how close I came today. It was humbling. As the Normandy came in, that stupid volcano exploded, and the cliff bank started giving away. Wrex jumped and made it, but with my shoulder, I couldn't get up enough steam, and well, when I jumped...I, um... I fell short." Karin's eyes got wide, but she said nothing as Samantha continued. " All I saw below me was molten lava... I was done! All of a sudden, I'm sheathed in blue. I was in full armor! It must have taken one hell of a biotic pull to stop my decent and yank me back to the ship. I was sure it was Wrex, pulling my ass, literally, out of the fire. But when I came crashing into the Normandy, I crashed into Liara...and I saw the whispers of blue fading from her fingertips. We made eye contact, and I'd swear she smiled at me before she passed out. It was...simply...amazing. I don't have any other word for it. She saved my life today, Karin. There's no doubt in my mind."

"You're telling me a dehydrated, exhausted Asari, on the brink of fainting, biotically grabbed you, and yanked you aboard the Normandy? That's...I don't even have a word for what that is! Perhaps 'biotic dynamo' is the only expression that fits, after all!"

"Don't get me wrong, she's damn smart too. Definitely an academic. I read some of her papers. She has some pretty impressive theories I'll need to talk to her about, eventually. But yeah, quite the package. Intelligent, strong, and beautiful to boot." Shepard grinned and laughed. "Could be trouble!"

"oh, my dear... with that story, I think trouble is the least of your worries!"

* * *

Liara was awake, though she had yet to open her eyes. She was waiting, in silence, for some confirmation as to where she was, other than on a table. She remembered being tossed onto a ship's loading platform, and reaching out to snatch Commander Shepard from the promise of a very unpleasant death. The commander had rescued her from the Prothean security device; that debt was now repaid. So, was she now in a holding cell? Was she incarcerated? She didn't feel the commander would do such a thing, but she was uncertain, not really having much to base that conclusion on. So, here she is, with a throbbing headache, eyes closed, just breathing evenly, almost in a meditative type trance, when the door opens and someone comes in. She does not feel ready to speak to anyone yet, so maintains her breathing meditations. The silence is finally broken by a pleasant voice she doesn't recognize... _Oh! It's the commander, and the speaker, 'Doc', is probably a medical professional, so I am most likely in the med bay! _

Liara thought back to her first view of the human. Not very large, particularly in comparison to the Turian and Krogan she was standing in front of, but somehow her very stance commanded... respect. She had been brutally straight forward, but then seemingly chagrinned by Liara's reaction. Next thing Liara knew, the commander was laughing at her. Very perplexing! _I don't know much about humans. Are they always so quick to shift moods? _Of course, she shouldn't judge. From the moment the commander walked up, Liara went rapidly from surprise, to anger, to chagrin, and then to what... frustration? The final emotion was closer to abandonment, with an unexplained feeling of loneliness after seeing Shepard drop out of sight off the ramp. _Goddess, what were my emotions doing? Surely it was a result of exhaustion?_ Her ruminations snapped back to the present when the commander started speaking again. Had Liara's eyes been open, they would have rolled. _Biotic dynamo? Really? _ She agreed with the Doctor's assessment of that statement. She was by no means a fully trained commando. Obviously, Shepard has not worked with many Asari, if her judgment is so lacking. _Wait! What? She's read my papers? I may need to reevaluate... Oh, Goddess, she thinks I'm beautiful? _At this point, Liara is finding it very difficult to maintain her breathing exercise. To make things worse, she hears quiet footfalls approaching her bed... and the shuffle of a chair being pulled over. _Goddess, she's sitting down right next to me! I can't pretend to be asleep forever! Ok, think... the movement of the chair wakes me! Yes, that's it!_

Liara slowly opens her eyes and really sees Commander Shepard clearly for the very first time. Shepard's pale green eyes are concentrating on her face and their eyes meet almost as soon as Liara's open. Liara's breath hitches. _Her eyes are so intense! How did I not notice that before?_

Samantha interprets the hitch as surprise and speaks very softly. "Sorry, Dr T'Soni, didn't mean to wake you. Just checking in to see how you're doing," finding herself needing to resist the urge to reach over and caress the Asari's smooth blue cheek. _Egads, woman, you've got it bad!_ Karin, realizing Liara is awake, walks over. "I'm Dr Karin Chakwas, and seeing as you are awake, I would like to assess that very thing... Commander, if you don't mind."

"Oh, sure, Doc. I'm out! I'm gonna go grab some chow. Be back soon!"

"So Doctor T'Soni. Spill it. How do you feel, really?"

"Spill it? I am sorry Dr Chakwas, but I am very unfamiliar with most of your human...idioms... so to say, and translators are completely worthless in that respect. As I have nothing to 'spill' I assume there is some other meaning to that phrase."

Dr Chakwas laughs. "So sorry my girl, habits, but I understand your confusion. What that means, spill it, or spill the beans, is to tell your story, to give up the truth, whether you want to or not."

Liara hesitates, then decides to be straight forward. "So it is a form of interrogation?"

"No, no, no! Nothing so...confrontational. You are not some prisoner that needs to be questioned. It's more of a request among friends to share some secret. Nothing threatening, I assure you. I'm just curious as to how you truly feel. I guess I'm too used to Shepard, who always understates her level of discomfort and injury."

"Among friends? But you do not know me...I'm sorry, I am not used to such...how shall I say...informality... from someone I have just met. I do not mean to offend. From one professional to another, I think I would like to be...friends... if that is possible? I think I may need one. And I do not see any purpose in 'understating' my physical condition. It would seem to complicate your treatment plan, should I choose to do so."

"Oh my dear, I find your lack of experience with humans charming. You have a lot to learn, and I'm sure we can be friends. I believe you will find me much more accepting and a much more gentle teacher than some of the uncouth persons on this vessel. But, you have not yet answered my question. How do you feel?"

Liara blushes, then laughs. "Of course, how silly of me, you are the ship's doctor, aren't you? I feel physically sound, except for a headache, which I attribute to hunger. But I also feel disgustingly filthy and sweaty, and I find myself aching for a shower above all else. Unfortunately, I also find myself a pauper, with none of my gear or equipment, as I... we... um, had to abandon all of my possessions in our haste to depart Therum."

"Both of those are an easy fix, Liara. You are a pretty average size, and if you don't mind wearing Alliance issue, I can get you a couple sets of clean clothes out of supply, very easily, I'm sure. We've also set a room aside for you with a cot and an extranet terminal for your personal use. You can use the shower right here in the med bay until you get more comfortable with the crew-it will provide you with much more privacy than those on the crew deck."

As if on cue, Samantha strolls back into the med bay with a tray. "Ok, we've got an energy drink for fast action, and then a plate of spaghetti and a piece of garlic bread for the carbo load for long term. Hope you like human food, because it's either that or dextro, and I'm sure you know better than to go there!" She holds the tray out to Liara, who just stares at the commander.

Sam falters a bit... "Um... not hungry?" She glances back and forth between Liara and Karin. "Did I interrupt something? If so, I can just...uh... leave? Now?"

Karin just busts out laughing at Shepard's very uncharacteristic discomfort, and the laughter breaks Liara's apparent paralysis. "Oh, no Commander! I'm sorry! I just... I don't... Oh Goddess, I've turned into a babbling idiot! I just did not expect you to come back in serving me dinner. I am just surprised, that is all. Thank you, very much! I'm famished!" She reaches out, smiling, and takes the tray from Shepard, who inadvertently releases a deep sigh of relief.

Karin gets up out of the chair and offers it to Shepard. "I am going to get some tea and some dinner, and then scrounge up some clothes for Liara. Shepard... sit and give her company while she eats. Besides, I'm sure you two have lots to discuss!" Sam's jaw drops open, with a look of almost horror on her face at Karin's obvious betrayal. Karin laughs, reaches over with a single finger under her chin and pushes her mouth closed. "Focus, Commander. Protheans, papers, Saren, conduit?" Then she turns and slides out the door without another word.

"Wow, ok, that was awkward, so we've got nowhere to go but up, right? To start, you eat, I'll talk." Sam starts out by filling Liara in on everything that has happened, starting with Eden Prime through their arrival at Therum, minus one very personal event. She does not mention the continuing nightmares she is suffering as a result of the beacon. She has yet to share that with anyone...they know about the initial dream she experienced during her 'coma,' but that's all. She does, however, mention her research on Liara prior to the mission. "I don't want you caught by surprise, so I'll tell you I have a tendency to be very thorough on mission prep if I have the time. That said, I had a whole night prior to our arrival on Therum, so I read your dossier, including two of your papers regarding the Prothean extinction. I don't want to go into detail right now, because we've actually been waiting on you to recover a bit so we can do the mission debrief, and I hate repeating myself. If you're up to it, I'll schedule it for 30 minutes from now to give everyone time to get ready."

"That should be fine, Commander. I just need to shower and change, and I will be prepared."

"Great, I'll send someone to collect you when the time comes." Shepard caught the crestfallen look on the Asari's face and correctly surmised the cause. She smiled and said, "not because I don't trust you, Liara, because I do; at this point with my life, literally. Because it's a new ship and you have no idea where you're going. Shoot, I haven't even let you find the mess hall yet!" She was thanked with a beautiful radiant smile from Dr Liara T'Soni that absolutely warmed her heart.

* * *

The commander stopped by her room to pick up a couple of datapads, and then walked immediately to the comm room. It gave her some time to collect her thoughts and get ready for the debrief. First in was Ashley, who Sam promptly sent back out to go collect the good Dr. She chuckled at the fact it was Ashley. Though purely luck of the draw, she was sure that Ashley would think she was being tested, and she felt no driving need to dispel that misconception. Once everyone was in the room and seated, Shepard started. "Sorry for the delay on the debrief, but I wanted Dr T'Soni to be present, so we all just needed to be patient until she felt well enough to join us. First things first, I want to give you the short version of my conversation with the Council immediately following Therum. I won't mention names, but they were highly displeased with my total destruction of the Prothean ruins, because I obviously triggered the cataclysmic event on purpose. They also insisted I turn over Dr T'Soni to C-Sec, actually saying my actions were bordering on treason when I refused. At that point, we must have flown behind a planet, or through an ion cloud or something, because our call was...um...mysteriously... dropped." Most everyone got a good chuckle out of that, but the looks on Kaidan's and Liara's faces were priceless. "Oh, come ON, you two! Lighten up! Doc T'Soni yanked my ass out of a molten lava pool and saved my life. Not a snowball's chance in hell I'm turning her over to C-Sec to be grilled like a terrorist!" She flashed everyone a lopsided grin and continued on.

"So, bottom line...we did inadvertently destroyed a significant archeological site, but we got Liara out of there safely, and it was close, but we all managed to come out alive. Now, I have added Dr T'Soni to the Normandy as a member of her crew, and she will be treated as such. She has exceptional biotic talent and more Prothean expertise in her head than the rest of us combined. I'm thinking that's what Saren was after, and we stole her right from under his nose. We should be happy about that and use it to our advantage." At this point, Kaidan chimed in and asked how long Liara had been researching the Protheans, and if she knew anything about something called the Conduit.

"I have been studying the Prothean extinction for 50 years, and though the Conduit is occasionally referenced, there are no specifics regarding its nature nor its location."

Ashley blurted out, "50 years? Just how old are you, Doctor?"

Liara looked ashamed. "I...I am only 106 years of age, barely a young adult by Asari standards." Liara was sure her credibility was about to called into question when Shepard stepped in.

"Listen up. For those who don't know, Asari live 1000 years, compared to our measly 150, so 106 is actually pretty young. That, however, does not take away from Liara's 50 years in the field, and the fact that she's one of the most published researchers in the specialty. Let's stay on task here, and save the rest for dinner conversation. Liara?"

"Th-thank you, Commander. I appreciate your confidence in my capabilities. I have to admit, when we first met on Therum, I didn't understand your ability to decode the barrier control panel so quickly. When I asked, you stated that you thought the buttons were pretty obvious...but I know they were labeled in the Prothean language. Now that I am aware of your interaction with the beacon, I can only surmise that along with the images you spoke of, it also imparted a basic understanding of the Prothean language...at least in its written form."

Shepard leaned forward in her chair. "Ok, so let's talk about what I see as the link between the beacon, its images and your research. Those images are...disturbing. I can think of no better word. They show violent destruction, by large ships, which, after listening to the Geth recording that Tali provided, I assumed to be the Reapers. Your paper on the Fermi Paradox mentions extinction by sentient machines. Has anything you ever read given them a name? Do you think the Reapers may be just that...not a race that uses such ships, but that the ships, in and of themselves, are actually sentient machines? I'm asking... do you think it's possible the Protheans were wiped out by a race of sentient machines called the Reapers?"

You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone stared at the Commander like she had just materialized out of thin air. Shepard was so focused on Liara that she totally failed to notice. Dr T'Soni started to answer, then stopped, reconsidering her response. "I..." All eyes in the room shifted to her, and she blushed furiously. "You think the beacon is a warning buoy...That would make sense. Everything I have ever read about the Protheans indicates they were an enlightened society. If they discovered they would be unable to defeat the Reapers, it is my estimation they would attempt to leave some type of warning for younger, evolving species...if they couldn't save themselves... then..." She trailed off, suddenly in unfamiliar territory, moving past her research on the extinction itself into conjecture on what the Protheans would have done once they realized their demise was inevitable. It was something she had never thought about and her confidence waned, dramatically. She was unsure where to go from here.

Shepard picked up on her body language. There was something there, but she was either unsure of the data, or unsure of its reception by the crew. "What's on your mind, Liara?"

"All this time we thought the beacons were data banks, specifically designed to interact with Prothean physiology. Anyone who has ever been in contact with one has always been left completely mentally incapacitated, bereft of any remaining logical mind function. For you to have received all that data, and still maintain higher level brain function is unprecedented! You...you must be remarkably strong-willed, Commander!"

"Yeah, well, just because it's there and I survived, doesn't mean it was a success. I still can't make heads or tails of it."

"Heads or tails, Commander? I'm sorry, I do not understand what you mean."

"I'm saying I have no idea what it's trying to tell me. If it's a warning, it's not a very good one, because I can't understand it!"

Liara looked pensive for a moment, then offered up a suggestion. "Do you know much about Asari physiology, Commander? We...um...we are able to join our consciousness with other individuals, including other species. With your knowledge from the beacon, and my knowledge of the Protheans, together we may be able to sort it out."

Kaidan practically exploded out of his chair. "What? Are you crazy? Commander, you can't risk that! She just said everyone who's survived contact with a beacon became raving lunatics! We have no idea what's going to happen if you start pushing those images around!"

"Stand down, Lieutenant! I am well aware of Asari...capabilities, but I agree there are other concerns we need to consider, so we need to talk about this as intelligent beings, not knee-jerk Neanderthals." Kaidan returned to his seat, his face dark and foreboding, not at all pleased where this conversation was heading.

"We'll table this discussion for now. Our next stop is Feros to investigate rumors of Geth activity. Everyone get rested and prepped, and be ready when we hit port. Everyone, dismissed."

* * *

After dinner, Shepard walked around and talked with some the crew, just trying to get a handle on how well everyone was integrating. Ashley seemed to have done a complete turnaround, and was openly chatting with Tali, trying to explain some of the human colloquialisms that seem to cause so much confusion. It made Sam think of Liara...she has the same issue with understanding non-literal phraseology. Liara tended to be more of a loner, secluding herself in her room behind the med bay. Maybe it was time to check in on the good doctor, and make sure she was settling in comfortably.

Shepard walked through the med bay to the back room they had provided the archeologist. As the door slid open, she took in the view. The area was really no more than a glorified storage room, but there was ample space for a cot, a small desk with a private terminal on it and still a little bit of room to move around, even with a few storage crates still sitting around. Not much, but more private accommodations that any of the rest of the crew had. Liara stood up when Shepard entered the room. "Hello, Commander. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Hey Liara, no, nothing specific, but I'd like a chance to just talk. I like to get to know my crew, more so than what I can read in a dossier; that is, if you don't mind and if you have time."

"Certainly, Commander. I would like the opportunity to learn a bit more about you as well. I hope that does not seem too forward?" Sam chuckled. "Not a bit, Liara. Though you're going to wear out my title if you keep calling me Commander every time you speak to me. My rule is if we're off duty, it's Shepard...Unless you want me calling you Dr T'Soni all night, that is. We can stay formal, if that would make you more comfortable, though honestly, I do prefer calling you Liara."

"Agreed, Com...ah, Shepard. I will say, I am used to being alone much of the time, so my social skills are not well developed. One would think otherwise, being a daughter of a Matriarch, but my mother was always busy, so I was normally either alone or with one of my mother's acolytes. I actually preferred it that way. People expected me to follow in Benezia's footsteps. They wanted me to become a leader of our people. But I have always felt drawn to the past. The Protheans were these wondrous mysterious figures. I wanted to learn everything about them." Suddenly, Liara looked troubled. "Perhaps if I had stayed, Benezia would not have allied with Saren. None of this makes sense to me. I have not spoken to her in many years, but I know her, or at least I did. This was not like her. Something changed."

"It's ok, Liara, we'll figure it out, given enough time. Besides, tonight, I came here to talk about you, not your mother." Liara ducks her head, blushing. "I..I am sorry, Shepard, I do not know what to say, I am afraid I am not very interesting. I spend most of my time on remote digs, unearthing mundane items, buried in long forgotten Prothean ruins."

Shepard frowns, "That is so not true. Don't sell yourself short, Liara. I know you've written a least a dozen papers... Just because your people don't give you the credit due, doesn't mean the rest of us aren't paying attention. But I do have to say, the solitary life you describe sounds dangerous, and lonely..."

Liara shrugged, "until the Geth followed me to Artemus Tau, I never found myself in any situation my biotics could not handle. As for the solitude, well, that is one aspect that most appealed to me. Sometimes, I just need to get away from other people. You have witnessed my inadequacies in social situations, so you should understand why I sometimes prefer to spend my time in the field on remote digs. I always seem to say something embarrassing around other people."

Shepard cocked her head and gave Liara a rakish grin. "I think it's part of your charm. You are very straight forward. I can trust what you say, without having to search for ulterior motives. You shouldn't be embarrassed by your sincerity. I like it." That, at least, got a shy smile out of the Asari.

"Shepard, as I have said, I'm not used to dealing with people, especially humans. After spending some time with you and your crew, I have discovered you humans are creatures of action. You, in particular, pursue your goals with an almost indomitable determination. I find it ... admirable. There is something compelling about you, Shepard...you intrigue me, but I am inexperienced in this. I feel as if we share some type of connection, but I am not sure if it is appropriate to act on my feelings. I am sorry if this is awkward for you. I am only trying to be honest." Liara stops, obviously nervous, biting her lower lip and looking at the floor.

Shepard reaches over gently and lifts Liara's chin, until their eyes meet, not letting her look away. "Liara, you're right, there is something between us. I've felt it since we first met. I couldn't explain it then, I can't explain it any better now." As Shepard speaks, she watches the heat rise in the Asari's face, creeping out of her collar, up her neck, and finally leaving an attractive blush on her cheeks.

Liara blurts out, "Does this not seem strange to you? We have only known each other a short time. We have almost nothing in common. This makes no sense!"

Shepard is now speaking very quietly. "Logic doesn't always work when it comes to relationships, but we do have things in common, Liara. We are not as disparate as it may seem on the surface. We both like history, we're both interested in the Protheans, and because of circumstances, we certainly have a common goal. Quit thinking like a scientist and just let yourself get swept up in the storm."

"You make it sound so...chaotic, so... dangerous. This is all a bit overwhelming. I am not used to ...this. You. I...I need some time."

Shepard smiles, and tells her, "Take all the time you need, I'll be here." She closes the distance between them, and hears Liara's sharp intake of breath. She cups Liara's face with both hands and, reaching up, gently kisses her on the forehead. Then, Sam whispers in her ear, " You intrigue me, as well... I'm not going anywhere. Goodnight, Liara." Then she steps back, dropping her hands to Liara's shoulders, drifting with a gentle touch down her arms, and clasps her trembling hands with a tender caress. With one last smile for the beautiful Asari before her, she turns and leaves the room.

Liara was practically frozen in panic when the commander stepped up and reached for her, having no idea what was coming. _Did I not just say I needed time? _The feathery kiss on her forehead was a surprise, not unwelcome by any means, and it seemed to send a lightning bolt down through her whole body, all the way to her toes. She felt like a leaf, shaking in the wind, ready to be blown away by the storm. When Shepard let go of her hands and left, she felt like her only remaining anchor had been torn from her grasp. She finally exhaled the breath she did not realize she was holding, and sat in a heap on her cot. _By the Goddess!_


	6. Lessons in Love and War

**Note: Hope you all are enjoying the story thus far. I find myself shifting from present tense to past... moving more to a story telling mode than real time reporting style... not sure which I like better. Please, all critiques are welcome, I've been getting some pretty good inputs. Thanks!**

* * *

Shepard returned to her room, thinking of her conversation with Liara, extremely happy there was a chance her feelings were reciprocated. It was hard for Sam to pinpoint where exactly the attraction started. Liara was beautiful, no doubt. Of course, Samantha didn't believe she'd ever met an Asari that wasn't a looker, but Liara was unique. The expressions on her face were endearing, and her eyes... those gorgeous radiant blue eyes... spoke volumes. But in all reality, it was more than the looks. There was something exceptional about the woman that just made Samantha's breath come a little quicker, made her heart beat a little faster. It was just a feeling of simple... innocence? Purity? No, it was not so simple that it could be one solitary thing. It's everything that made up the whole. Her lack of experience with humans brought a fresh perspective, like Sam was able to honestly see the human race for the first time through Liara's eyes. _Geez, I'm waxing like a love sick teen!_ Whatever it was, they both voiced their mutual interest tonight, and Shepard had great hope for a potential relationship in the future. _I can see how it very easily could grow to something more..._ Even in the short term, it would be a pleasant diversion for times when the weight of the galaxy seemed just a little too heavy to bear. With a heartfelt sigh, Commander Shepard glanced at the new pile of paperwork that had shown up on her desk. After working on the stack for only a half hour, she realized that her persistent headache was once again pounding on the inside of her skull. It now seemed like it never truly went away, just receded to the shadows when she was really busy and focused on other things. The main thing was when she got tired, it affected her ability to concentrate. It was a distraction she couldn't afford right now. Massaging her temples to no avail, she just acquiesced to the fact she'd get no more paperwork done tonight if she couldn't concentrate, so it was time to hit the sack. Once again thinking of Dr T'Soni, she drifted off to sleep.

Sam awoke to a relentless pounding noise. _What is that racket?_ She got up and stomped to her door, prepared to flay whoever is causing the disturbance. Yanking open the door, she was immediately blinded by explosions and fire. She heard someone screaming off to the side and turned to look... and found herself once more looking down upon the ruins of some unknown city. All she witnessed was destruction and pain. The pounding was the result of main cannons, on huge ships, blasting away the lives and dreams of an entire civilization. Everything was burning and the heat unbearable. The flash of a blazing sun was so bright she threw up her arm to block it, and when she was able to see again, she was sitting bolt upright in her own bed, her arm thrown across her eyes in defense against the recurring nightmare that was now seemingly plaguing her every sleeping moment, stealing away any chance of restful slumber. Sam forcefully rubbed her forehead, then pressed against both temples, neither action gaining any traction against the pulsing throbs threatening to push all reasoned thought out of reach. With a heavy exhausted sigh, she got up and took yet one more early morning shower. She stayed there for a long time, leaning her head against the tile wall as the water streamed down her back. _This is really starting to piss me off._

* * *

The door slid open and the commander strode in, a woman on a mission, bee-lining to the Asari. "Liara!" Startled, Liara jumped up, crashing into her desk and sending her coffee cup flying. The commander leaned in quickly, snatched the coffee cup mid air, and held it out for Liara to take from her, all in one smooth motion. "C-Commander! Goddess, you scared me! I... I'm sorry, I was concentrating on my Therum notes, and..." she just trailed off, swallowing hard, eyes still wide and darting, one hand near her throat as if trying to physically keep her heart from jumping out of her chest.

Sheepishly ducking her head, Samantha attempted to apologize. "Oh geez, sorry Liara...guess that was...um... rather abrupt..." She failed miserably at looking repentant, as she suddenly busted out laughing. "God, the look on your face! I'm sorry, I just can't help myself," continuing to laugh uncontrollably.

"I do not find this very amusing, Commander! I could...I might...I don't even know what to say!" At her total loss for words, Liara almost smiled, waving her hands in the air in frustration. "What is it about you that leaves me a complete, unintelligible buffoon? I have two doctorates, yet I cannot even form a proper sentence!" Watching the flailing Asari, Samantha was having a hard time catching her breath, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, God, just... stop...and let me breathe!"

With that, Liara's waving hands parked on her hips, now looking rather annoyed and doing her best to glare at the commander. With a concerted effort, not in any small part aided by the fact that Liara was no longer flailing her arms about, Samantha finally controlled her giggles and held the coffee cup out again for Liara to take. Liara's hand snapped out and snatched the cup away, then she thumped it down onto the desk before turning back to glower at the commander.

Samantha finally stopped laughing all together, but still couldn't get the raffish grin off her face. "Ok... seriously now... I really do need to speak with you...about Feros." Liara looked a little less indignant, so Sam felt it safe to continue. "All I know is it's a Third Age Prothean ruin, currently controlled by an ExoGeni Corporation research group. All humans." As she spoke, the smile on her face slowly died, and she became all business. "We're here because of a report of Geth activity, so I assume somewhere in the ruins is a beacon or something of value to Saren. Ever studied here? Been here for any purpose?"

Liara looked sad, feeling she would let the commander down. "I am sorry, Commander, but I can offer no insights. Ownership has floated through multiple organizations since the site was discovered, but companies are very protective of their intellectual property and corporate research. I was never able to get a permit for entry." She was the Prothean expert, she had to have something to offer... "Perhaps I could accompany you on the ground team...in case we find something?"

Samantha eyed the Asari with an appraising look, contemplating. "You're a hell of a biotic, but you haven't done any military training, have you?" Liara just looked down and shook her head no. With no training, she would be a liability. Liara thought, _I'll have to remedy that as soon as I am able. "_Have you ever fired a weapon?" At this, Liara brightened. "Oh yes. I used to practice with Mother's commandos. I am fairly proficient with a pistol. I generally bring one on every dig...but I lost my Stiletto when we abandoned Therum."

"Stiletto? Wow, nice pistol. Expensive. I don't know how soon we'll be able to replace that. Ok, let me think about this. I should have evaluated your crew capabilities as soon as we had you on board... and should have started weapons training at the very least. That's my bad. A pistol doesn't do crap against an armored Geth. But, we may need your Prothean expertise...so, I think we'll take you as a fourth man." Liara's crystal blue eyes shimmered with anticipation.

Samantha continued, "Let me explain that... our normal squad deployment is three people, or multiple teams of three. It's a minimum number to ensure you can get adequate cross or cover fire. Since we are going against Geth, I need to give Tali a run because of her hacking capabilities, but I can't keep an eye on both of you at the same time...so as a fourth man, you need to stick to me as best you can, but at the same time, you also need to remain under cover. Never, ever, expose yourself to enemy fire, and keep your barrier up."

"Today, you are not a combatant. I don't mean this derogatorily, but look at it as us escorting the professor, we need your knowledge, not an extra fighter. Until we get you some armor and at least medium weapons training, I don't want to risk you..." Samantha looked down at the floor as she said, "You're too important to me...and this mission, in more ways than one." Her eyes were cloudy as she looked back up at Liara. "One last thing, T'Soni. In here, I'm Shepard. Out there, I'm the commander. This is the critical piece to bring you back safe, so if you listen to nothing else I've said today, listen to this. If I tell you to do something, you do it, immediately and without question...Got it? Don't take anything personally, just do what I tell you, immediately and without question. Is that understood?" Liara looked at the expression on Shepard's face and knew this was nonnegotiable. All she could say was, "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

The landing on Feros was thankfully uneventful. The Normandy docked and there was an ExoGeni representative already waiting once the airlock cleared and the crew was able to disembark. It was quiet long enough for the rep to say their leader, some guy named Fai Dan, was waiting for them at the colony. Then the first wave of Geth hit...as the first shot took out the ExoGeni rep, the Normandy ground crew instantly starting diving for cover behind anything they could find. Tali hacked the trooper closest to her, causing it turned around and started firing back at the other Geth. Making for a great distraction, it allowed Shepard, Ash, Tali and Liara to move to cover, and get the remaining Geth troops in their sights. Tali continued her hacking, keeping a single Geth troop almost constantly under friendly control. The walking battle tank, Wrex, just simply threw himself into the fray, charging in and crushing one Geth, while swinging his shotgun and blasting another in a nearby singularity. If nothing else, he drew the majority of fire, as it was hard, impossible really, for the Geth to ignore the big charging Krogan in their midst. Garrus provided some incredible sniper shots _that guy can really shoot!_ and Kaidan jumped in with warps and singularities, keeping the Geth off balance. Seemed to be a lot of energy flowing for a single biotic, so Shepard had a feeling Liara was 'assisting' with some of the workload, even though she had been specifically instructed to be a non-combatant. _We'll talk about that later, T'Soni._ As that thought passed through her mind, Shepard glanced back over her shoulder to scowl at Liara, but she was nowhere to be seen. Sam brought her eyes back front. _Then again, good job staying under cover, Professor. You just might have a knack for this after all!_

It wasn't terribly long before the team found themselves at the colony. Attempting to speak with any of the colonists proved an exercise in frustration. After very limited conversation, everyone of them had a near identical response, "You should talk to Fai Dan." So they did.

"Fai Dan? I'm Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy. We came in response to your hail."

A woman in black ExoGeni body armor was standing next to him, and tartly spit out, "A little late, aren't you?"

"Arcelia. These people have come to help." Fai Dan turned to us. "I'm glad you're here, Commander. The Geth have been pressing us pretty hard." A very brief discussion revealed no relevant data. The colony had no idea why the Geth were here, they hadn't seen any sign of Saren, and the Normandy crew was no closer to having any answers when a dropship showed up and more Geth started pouring in.

Arcelia yelled, "The Geth are in the tower!" and ran to the nearest barricade.

A quick glance at Liara... "Do not try to follow me, stay with the support group!" and Shepard and Wrex took the lead, literally charging into the tower, smashing into the Geth and blasting away with their shotguns. The rest of the crew was left with mop-up duty as everyone moved up through the tower, one floor at a time. Shepard and Wrex barely slowed, moving so quickly the Geth had no time to prepare for the onslaught. Finally they approached the top floor and Shepard called a halt. The roof was partially collapsed on the tower, and the Geth dropship was visible through the gap.

"Ok, we have no idea how many more platforms are on ship, so we need to make sure we don't get in so deep they can drop behind us. Wrex, Ash and I will go deep; Kaidan, you've got the support team of Tali and Liara...Garrus, find yourself a vantage point and do what you do best. Whatever you do, DO. NOT. expose yourself to direct fire from that ship. No amount of barrier or shield will save you! Let's move!" The lead team penetrated into the upper floor, moving in only so far as the first available cover. As Geth started to appear, Garrus got the first kill with his sniper rifle. "Scratch one!" Initially, Wrex and Shepard were limited to long-range biotics and standard weapons, Wrex with his shotgun and Shepard selecting her Locust SMG. Eventually, the Geth figured out they were at the disadvantage and pulled back into cover, forcing the Normandy team into having to press forward. They didn't have time for a stalemate...siege mentality doesn't work against a synthetic enemy that doesn't need food or water. Shepard, Ash, and Wrex started to move deeper into the room, when suddenly Liara called out, "Shepard! There's a control platform behind us!" Apparently, a Geth Prime had worked its way into the tower from somewhere below, through a second entrance the team had yet to discover, and came in the same door the team had used earlier to gain access to the top floor.

The Prime's first shot blasted Tali before anyone had a chance to react, giving Kaidan and Liara opportunity to dive to opposite sides, hoping to catch the Geth in a crossfire. Unfortunately, Shepard was correct in her assessment...a standard military grade pistol had virtually no effect, so the two biotics had little choice in their weapons, and one can regenerate biotic power only so quickly. The Prime had a huge advantage. It turned toward Kaidan, who flared his barrier, and the Prime was suddenly rocked by sniper fire from Garrus, combined with a warp from Liara. It's shields were weakened, but did not drop. Unable to generate a barrier yet because of the warp she just threw, Liara scrambled for cover as the Prime turned toward her. Shepard's world went into slow motion as she called her biotics and charged the Prime in a flash of blue biotic power. Not seeing what Shepard was doing behind him, Kaidan dropped his barrier and threw a massive lift, picking the Prime slightly into the air, helpless. A charged Shepard slammed into the lifted Prime and the resultant explosion destroyed the Prime and tossed Shepard off to the side, into a pile of rubble. "Shepard!" Liara bolted to her side and looked on in open-mouthed amazement as Shepard laughed, jumped up and shook herself off, whooping, "Oof! Now, THAT was fun!"

Shepard took a quick glance around to check her squad's status and saw Tali, laying very still. Her demeanor immediately changed. "Shit!" She rushed over, joining Garrus and Ashley who were already working on the little Quarian. Ashley had already checked vitals and applied medigel. Garrus cussed, "Damn it! Her suit is breached. With her compromised immune system, we need to get her back to Chakwas ASAP!" Shepard gave a worried look and made the call to Karin to let her know she had a critical incoming. "Garrus, Ash, get her back to the Normandy. The rest of us will escort you as far as the divide and then go finish our chat with Fai Dan."

Upon returning to the colony, Fai Dan was still politely non cooperative, insisting he had no information as to what the Geth could possibly want here. Shepard was getting irritated. "You're telling me, that, a week ago, when you sent the request for assistance, it was just because of the Geth. You didn't see a black ship that looks like a big squid, rather difficult to confuse with anything else, and you didn't see a big marauding Turian, or an Asari Matriarch, or any Asari commandos she probably would have had with her. You didn't see ANY of those things, together or alone?" Fai Dan was frustratingly calm in his response, "I'm sorry, I can't help that. All I can suggest is that ExoGeni may have the information you're looking for. The Geth attacked there first."

Shepard drew a big breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling and speaking, her words clipped. "So, how do we get to ExoGeni?"

"Take the elevator to the Skyway. It connects us to the other two buildings that ExoGeni was using. I'm pretty sure at least one of the vehicles in the garage still works."

Their biggest fan, Arcelia, couldn't resist adding venom to the mix. "We've beaten the Geth back three times already without your help. Problem is they keep coming back, so they must have a transmitter or homing beacon down in the tunnels. Why don't you do something useful for a change and take that thing out for us."

Shepard glowered, her face starting to turn red. "Sure, princess. While we're out and about what other errands can we run to help you keep your little colony afloat."

Arcelia was about to make a caustic comeback when Fai Dan stepped in and actually answered the question...civilly. "The Geth have damaged our water supply system, our food supplies are low because a large alpha varren is making hunting too risky, and our power system has been down since our battery bank took a hit. If you can help us become self-sufficient again, we will be very much in your debt."

A good many hours later, the team had wandered their way down every inch of tunnel below the colony. They found all the water mains the Geth had closed and reopened each of them, thinned out a rather nasty pack of varren and salvaged some battery packs from an old transporter. Then, they located the transmitter. Taking down the transmitter itself was easy. It was the long narrow corridor, with absolutely no cover, and guarded by Geth assault drones and three Krogan warlords that made it interesting. If Tali had been with the team, it would have been easy. Hack one drone at a time until they shoot each other down, then blow up the last drone. As it was, the Normandy team had to do it the hard way, which meant playing cat and mouse at the doorway, ducking in and out with shields and barriers, slowly chipping away at the drone shields until they finally dropped, and one at a time the drones eventually got blasted out of the sky. The three Krogan were actually easy by comparison. With Liara and Kaidan teaming up to throw singularity and warp pairings, a charging Krogan Battlemaster with a shotgun, and a deceptive small human female who could slam into you like a freight train, the enemy Krogan went down fast. However, because everything took so long, the team retired to the Normandy for the night, checking out the garage on the way. It contained only a single operational Mako; capacity three. Tomorrow, Shepard would only be able to take a single three-man team into the heart of the Geth invasion. _Lovely._

Shepard's first stop when arriving back at the Normandy was the med bay to check on Tali, the rest of the team hot on her trail. Everyone wanted to know how their little Quarian sister was doing. Karin let everyone in for just a few moments, so they could see, in person, that Tali had rallied. She was tired, had been pumped full of pain meds and antibiotics, and would be out of the battle rotation for at least a week, but she would recover; that cheered everyone immensely. Doc Chakwas quickly chased everyone out, but looked at Shepard. "You can have a moment, Commander, but I still need you to keep it short. By the way, nice to see you in one piece for a change." Shepard grinned and quipped, "Yeah, I figured I've been in so much trouble lately, I'd let Tali take the hit for me this time." Tali laughed weakly, and replied, "Next time I'll just stick to hacking. I don't think I want this job." A more somber Shepard stepped up and gently took Tali's hand, giving her some very...Quarian...encouragement. "Heal and recover, little sister. Your Captain and crew need you." Tali responded quietly, "Thank you, Shepard, I will." With that, Samantha beat a hasty retreat to ditch her gear, grab a shower, and then have a chat with Ashley.

Shepard stopped in the mess, did a quick check, then headed down to the Armory. "Hey Ash, had dinner yet?" "No, ma'am. Wanted to clean my gear first and get stuff ready for tomorrow."

"It'll wait. Come up and grab some chow. I need some help."

Ashley looked puzzled. "What? The great Commander Shepard, Hero of Elysium, Captain of the Normandy, Vanguard Supreme, needs help from a poor little Gunny Chief?"

Shepard chuckled. "Exactly right. We all need a little help from our friends now and again. In this case, I need a Gunnery Chief's expertise for a very specific mission."

Ashley grinned."Uh oh, Skipper. Sounds awfully suspicious...I'm not sure I'll be able to help you. This isn't gonna get me tossed in the brig, is it?" Wiggling eyebrows and the mischievous twinkle in Shepard's eyes finally suckered Ashley in. "All right, Skip. Give me two secs to get this stuff put away." Ash stowed her gear and they went up to the crew deck for dinner. Once they had their food, Shepard took them over to an end table, a bit out of the main stream of people coming and going. "Oh yeah, Shepard. Us sitting over in a corner by ourselves doesn't look in the least bit conspicuous...What gives, oh great leader of men?"

"Alright, alright. Nothing so exciting. Just need to talk to you about T'Soni."

"Nothing exciting?" Ashley snorted, "That's just the hottest talk on the ship right now, but don't worry, Skipper. I'm cool with it. Most everyone is. I mean, it's not my cup of tea, but our chat the other night really got me to thinking. You're right. I'm not one to judge. You have enough stress in your life with all the shit going on, so if the good Doctor helps you relieve some of that, I'm good with it."

"Uh...ok. I'm pretty sure I started this conversation, but I'm suddenly not sure what exactly it is we're talking about? I'd hazard a guess that we're not just talking about having alien crew members?"

Ashley was suddenly chagrined. "Oh boy. I just stepped in some shit, didn't I?"

Samantha shook her head and sighed. "Spit it out, Ash. There's obviously some scuttlebutt running around. Guess I need to hear it from you now, on the up and up, instead of catching rumors of it later."

"Ok, don't know how else to say it, so I'll be blunt. Just don't explode and make a scene, ok? Folks have been talking about you 'chatting up' the Asari behind the med bay. Those of us on the ground team, who know her, understand, but the rest of the crew don't have a clue. They don't know who she is or what she does, and they don't get why she's onboard and not in the brig. I'll be honest... with the Asari reputation around the galaxy as, well, uh...you know, 'entertainers', some have even inferred that she's your private... um... stress reducer."

It took every bit of self control she possessed for Shepard to not come out of her chair. She was seething, and her voice was dangerously low. "You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding."

"Fraid not, Skipper...Would you like a suggestion?" All Ashley got in response was a glare. "Well, want it or not, I'm gonna give you one. I do believe you told me to start acting like a Chief. This is my way to show you I've taken that to heart. The way I see it, most of the misconception comes because they don't know her. She's shy, and she hides in that room. Even grabs her meals and eats in there alone most days. She doesn't socialize with anybody, really. She needs to come out. Eat meals with the crew, socialize at night. She doesn't have to play poker or drink with us, but come out and at least talk to people. Let her tell her stories, so people get to know her. It'll go a long way to setting this right."

"Well, fuck me. Last thing I ever wanted was to tarnish her reputation. Since we're all being so honest... Liara and I have talked about it, the potential for a relationship, but that's it. Just talk. Being the daughter of a Matriarch, she's led a pretty sheltered life. I don't know if it's me, or the fact that I'm a human and she has no experience with us or what, but she's very unsure of herself as far as a relationship with me goes. It may not just be me. I get the feeling she hasn't been in any type of serious relationship. All she's ever done is study." Shepard smiles softly. "It's kinda cute. I love it about her."

"See now, that's what I'm talking about; just talking about her makes you happy, Skipper. Happy like I never see you with anybody else. It's amazing, the change that comes over you when she's in the room. It's cool. Don't let anything, or anyone, take that away from you."

Sam looks befuddled. "Wow. I had no idea I was that obvious. Ok. That was really... unexpected. Thanks...I guess? I needed to hear it, so I can try to head it off before it explodes. I'll see what I can do to draw her out a bit, but I think we need to get some help in that across the board-I don't think her being seen only in my presence will help much. I'll talk to Garrus, and maybe you can talk to Tali when she's up and about again. Believe it or not, it makes a great lead in to what I actually wanted to talk to you about. I'm going to send her down to the armory tomorrow morning. Get her fitted in light armor, Predator if she can handle it, Mantis if not, and get her something with more punch than that Striker pistol she has, maybe a Shuriken or Locust SMG whichever she's more comfortable with, and pack it with some decent mods. She did pretty good today, showed good instincts. I need her if we find any Prothean tech, so if she going with us, she needs to be protected just like everyone else on the crew."

"I'm on it, Skipper. People start seeing her in battle gear, they might think about her role on the ship being other than your morale booster. Don't worry, I'll get her set up. And I'll see if I can't get her out to eat breakfast with me in the mornings. I think you normally have dinner covered. She's probably in there starving to death, waiting for you to show up." Ashley laughed at the expression on Shepard's face. "I know that look. See ya, Skipper!"

"Crap. I guess I have gotten into that habit, huh. Looks like maybe I'm eating twice tonight! Thanks, Ash. Really. Good to know you've got my back."

Shepard headed on over to the med bay, not exactly sure how this conversation was going to go. This time, she knocked on Liara's door, and actually waited for Liara to open it before walking in. "Oh, hello, Commander, please, come in." Liara looked concerned for a brief moment, then pulled herself up and spoke. "I hope our previous conversations have not given you cause to not want to speak to me." That caught Shepard by surprise. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, you normally just come in, so there must be some reason for your hesitation?"

_And there it is, the blunt sincerity I find so refreshing._ "Ah, well. After I startled you so badly, blasting in here like I did this morning, I got to thinking about it. I've actually been pretty rude, just walking in like I have been. I mean, it is your room after all, I shouldn't just barge in on you. It' s not polite. Forgive me."

Liara blushes a little. "Thank you, Shepard... it is very considerate of you, but really, it is alright. I...look forward to your visits." She smiles, sits down on her cot and points to the desk chair. "Will you sit?"

Shepard gave Liara a little smile and took the offered chair. "Thanks, but it's not alright...at least you didn't think so this morning when it happened...Matter of fact, if I remember correctly, you were downright irritated. I normally try to give my crew the same consideration I expect them to give me. It's only right... Anyway, I'd like to talk to you about tomorrow's mission. I'd like you to come along again, in case we find any Prothean tech."

"Absolutely, Commander. I was not sure you would want me to, after today." For a change, Liara did not look bashful at all. She looked straight at Shepard, almost as if in challenge. _She's ready for the fight... ready to defend her actions. Good!_

"From that statement, I can only surmise you are referring to your disregard of my request that you not be a combatant today." At Liara's surprised look, Sam continued, "Yes, I noticed you were assisting Alenko today. He can't throw warp/singularity combos that fast, that frequently, and since Wrex was up front head bashing Geth with his boomstick... I certainly didn't do it, so that only left you. And I'll admit, at first I was mad, but I looked back to find you, and you were nowhere to be seen. You did a great job, and kept out of the enemy's sights. More importantly, you kept a cool head under fire, especially when that damn Prime snuck in behind us. You showed good instincts today. I was...proud for you, Liara. You did well." Liara blushed furiously at the praise, but smiled and sat up a little straighter on the cot. "Thank you, Shepard. That means a lot coming from you." Samantha suddenly scowled and looked very serious. "However, do not, even for one second, think that gives you carte blanche to ever disobey another field order I give you." Liara's smile faltered, and she looked away, but said nothing. Sam paused only slightly, considered the point made, and then continued.

"So, about tomorrow. If you're going, first thing in the morning I need you down in the armory. I've already talked to Ash. She's going to get you set up with some light armor, and get you something with a little more bang for the buck than that pistol. How's that sound?"

"Well, I am not sure exactly what you mean by 'bang for the buck' but I would assume it means something stronger, or more efficient. I appreciate the opportunity, and if that is what you desire, I will comply."

"It's not about desire, Blue, it's about protection. If that Prime had hit you today from that range, I just don't want to think about what the results would have been. Tali got lucky, she was wearing light armor, but her suit still got breeched and she's going to be in the med bay for a week. I don't want that to happen to you, Liara. We've got too much ahead of us..." Samantha smiled wistfully. _So, you going to interpret that as looming mission, or personal dreams..I'm not really sure how I meant it, both I guess._

Liara blinked. Sam could tell she was puzzling over the same question of interpretation, and was unexpectedly disappointed when Liara chose the mission and replied, "As you wish, Commander. I will visit Chief Williams immediately after breakfast. Let's not spend every free minute talking about mission performance. It's bad enough we spend every day chasing Saren across the galaxy."

"Doesn't matter what the subject is, I like talking with you, Liara. By the way, have you eaten?"

"I have not, but I am not really very hungry. I have too much on my mind to eat right now." Liara paused, contemplating where to start. "You have been very understanding with me, Shepard. Very patient, I appreciate that. I am aware there are some very strange beliefs about my people. I am familiar with the legend of Asari promiscuity, but those rumors have little basis in fact. When one of my people joins with an individual from another species, it is a very deep and spiritual exchange. We do not enter lightly into a union."

"I understand some of the Asari culture, but when you describe it, you make is sound almost... mystical."

"A true union goes far beyond an ordinary melding. It is a connection that transcends the physical universe. Two become one. Thoughts and senses merge. Identities intertwine. Memories and emotions weave themselves together, becoming entangled in a single, rapturous whole. It is unlike any other experience. In some cases, it can be a truly life-changing event."

"I know some Asari, I've run across some commandos, but I've never melded with any, for any purpose... It sounds amazing. Um, based on our previous conversation, you're not saying..." Sam, just faded out, not really wanting the answer she knew was coming.

"No! Oh, no! Uh, I am not very good at this, am I? I am sorry, Shepard. I am just trying to explain why I have been so...reserved. The union is more than just sex. It is the life blood of my species, the way we Asari evolve and grow as a society. That is why I have never...uh, I mean, that is why we must chose our partners with great care."

Sam was surprised. "Wait... never? Are you saying in 106 years you've never been with anybody?"

Liara was very uncomfortable with the discussion and was staring at the floor at this point. "I am only 106, Shepard, barely an adult by Asari standards. And I spend most of my time absorbed in my research. I never really thought about it...Not until I met you."

Sam stood up and stepped away, creating more...physical space... between them. "Wait, you've thought about it? _Holy crap!_ Slow down and take a breath, Blue!... God, I like you, Liara... a lot. Somehow, you make me feel...amazing. And I know you think humans move too fast and bully our way into things, but a real relationship is not something to be rushed. It's something to be savored. I don't do ... uh, I don't have casual sex. I don't expect you...us...to jump right into a mating meld, certainly not into a full union, especially if it would be your first time. I'm certainly not going to push you into something you're not ready for. I just..." Samantha felt like there was a hole in her chest; like she was losing her grip on something very precious. "I don't want you to think I'm not interested, I just want to give us the chance to get to know one another first."

Liara looked up, "I think I would like that. You are very special to me, Shepard. But with all that is happening; Saren, the Geth, the Reapers...I do not know if we are ready for this."

Sam sat back down in the chair, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, and made direct eye contact with Liara. "Oh, no you don't, Blue. No second guessing us. I want to spend time with you. Humans call it dating. We're definitely ready for that, it's not really much different than what we are already doing. As I told you last night, we'll take the time we need, Liara, and we'll be ready, for whatever comes."

"I truly hope you understand, Shepard. There is too much at stake. I wish it did not have to be this way, but I need to put aside my personal feelings and focus on stopping Saren. It is too...distracting, to me. Let's... let's talk about something else."

Sam sat back in the chair, a look of melancholy on her face. _Distracting? Really? How about inspiring? Something to make the fight worthwhile...? _ The thoughts ran through her mind, but she voiced none of them. Instead, she just stood up and sighed, "Actually, Liara, I'm not feeling very well, so I'm gonna go. Try to get some rest before the mission tomorrow." Shepard gave Liara a half-baked smile and returned to her own room. She didn't even bother removing her uniform before just flopping down onto the bed. Between the conversation with Liara and that damn pounding headache, she almost felt nauseous.


	7. Lies, All Lies

Sam woke just after midnight, once again in the throes of that ever present nightmare. She stripped out of her uniform and took a quick shower to wash off the sweat, before returning to bed. Echoes of the nightmare still in her head notwithstanding, she was still exhausted, so it wasn't long before she drifted back into a restless sleep.

* * *

As promised, Liara was up bright and early, standing in the mess hall looking at her breakfast options when Ashley walked in. "Hey, Doc. I hear we've got an appointment this morning. Join me for chow, and we'll head to the armory together?" Liara glanced nervously around the mess. _Not too many people here... I guess that would be ok._ "Chief, I think I would like that, thank you." "Please, it's Ashley, or just Ash, whichever." Ash and Liara chatted amicably through breakfast, playing twenty questions. Ash asked mostly about the University of Serrice and Liara's home planet of Thessia, in general, while Liara asked about life in the Marines and being aboard a ship like the Normandy. Ash was quiet for a minute when asked about life aboard ship, and then, deciding to be candid, she confessed to Liara about her grandfather, and how the Normandy was her first ship assignment, even though she had been in long enough to make Chief. That act of trust was all it took to cement their budding friendship, and Liara told her story in turn, of what it was like to grow up as a Matriarch's daughter, the solitary life, all the expectations, and disappointments when Liara had decided to become an archeologist. Before they knew it, an hour had passed, Ash looked at her chrono and blurted out, "Holy crap! Liara, we've got to get you to the armory and get you set up! The Skipper's gonna skin me alive if you're not ready! As they got up to leave, Chief Williams and Dr T'Soni both saw and overheard the snippet of conversation at the same time; a leering "Boy, I'd like to get me a piece of that blue ass!"

Ash saw Liara's reaction, her blue face actually... paled. Ash didn't know it could do that, and it caught her a bit by surprise that Asari seemed to have the same type of physiological responses as humans. But it also made her very angry. She wheeled around like a raging bull.

"Petty Officer! Front and center, mister! I don't know who you think you are, but if you like your tour on the most elite ship in the Alliance Navy, you'll cage those comments. This is _Doctor_ T'Soni, an esteemed member of this crew, not some damn sex toy. Pass the word. If I hear any such comments again, from any member of this crew, I'll see to it you're put groundside faster than you can pack your toothbrush. Am. I. Understood?" Not like he really needed to pass the word, because Chief Williams' volume was such that the entire mess heard it. Even Liara stood up ramrod straight at the tone of Ashley's voice, very glad she was not the target of Chief William's wrath. Ashley's eyes continued to rivet the Petty Officer to his spot, until he finally coughed out a "Yes, Chief!" at which point, she turned back to Liara. "Come on Doc, let's get your armor and weapons issue completed before the Commander has my ass." Every eye in the mess watched them all the way until the elevator doors closed.

The elevator was deathly silent until Ash spoke. "Geez, sorry Liara. It's no wonder you don't want to eat in the mess, with morons like that! I didn't think when I invited you to breakfast..." Liara's words said, "It's quite alright, Ashley, I'm well aware of the misconceptions held about the sexual habits of Asari," but the expression on her face and the glistening tears in her eyes told a different story. Ashley gently laid a hand on Liara's arm. "No, it's not 'alright.' You've pulled our asses out of the fire a couple times, and you don't deserve that kind of treatment. I'll tell you now...if I have to personally eat everyone on this boat for breakfast to correct that 'misconception,' I will gladly take that on as a personal mission." After what she had just witnessed, Liara had no reason to doubt the veracity of that statement.

* * *

It was lunchtime before Commander Shepard emerged from her room and wandered down to the mess. When she saw Ash and Liara eating together at a table, she headed in their direction. She looked aggravated and her words were short. "T'Soni. Chief Williams get you all set up this morning?" Liara wondered if she had heard about the morning altercation as she responded. "Yes, Ashley was very helpful, thank you. I now have a perfectly fitted suit of Predator light armor and an ultralight M-4 Shuriken with a high-caliber barrel. She also gave me a few lessons and pointers; I actually feel quite comfortable with it."

"Great. Thanks, Chief, appreciate the assist. Doc, I'll see you, geared up, at the airlock at 1300 hrs, it's you, me and Wrex." With that, Shepard hit the lunch counter, grabbed some energy drinks and some energy bars, and returned to her room. Liara and Ashley just looked at each other over the table with questioning looks on both faces. Ashley was thinking, _What the hell?_

* * *

Liara was convinced that Shepard was the worst driver in the galaxy as the Mako bobbed and weaved its way across the Skyway, headed toward the ExoGeni HQs. Wrex was firing the main gun and the coaxial cannon, while Liara was operating the radio and targeting systems. It didn't take them long to get into a battle rhythm, and the going was relatively easy, though slow and tedious. The tedium was broken when Liara suddenly piped up, "Commander, I think there are humans holding out in that building ahead of us!" She flipped the radio to general broadcast and the entire team heard the call out. "This is Juliana Baynham of Feros Colony. Is there anyone on this channel? Damn it, I'm showing movement on the Skyway, and it's not Geth! Who's out there?" Liara attempted to contact them, but got no response, evidently either their radio or the equipment in the Mako was fault; didn't really matter which it was. Two-way communication was not possible. The Mako entered the first building and started climbing via a series of ramps, and eventually came upon what appeared to be a fortified entrance. The team exited the vehicle, snuck toward the entrance, and quickly realized this stronghold was the temporary home of the survivors heard on the radio.

"Stop right there!" shouted a harsh male voice. The speaker pushed himself to the front, confronting Shepard.

"Take it easy, Jeong, they're obviously not Geth." This one was an older female, her voice recognizable as the one we had heard over the radio.

Shepard raised both hands in a calming gesture. "I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance military."

"I'm Juliana Baynham," said the woman. "I'm probably the senior remaining scientist from the ExoGeni installation. This is Ethan Jeong, the last surviving corporate representative."

"I'm in charge here, Juliana!" snapped Jeong. "What are you doing here, soldier?"

"Can the attitude, Jeong. I'm here to investigate the Geth attack. Have any ideas on that?"

Jeong shook his head. "No. This is a small colony. We don't have anything the Geth could want."

Baynham interrupted. "Commander, you would have come through the spaceport facility?"

"Yes, we did. The colonists at Zhu's Hope came under heavy attack too, but most of them have survived. We were able to help them keep the colony operational."

She frowned at Jeong. "I thought you said the colonists were all dead."

"I said they were _probably_ dead," said Jeong.

Baynham pleased, "Well, now maybe we could join them?"

Jeong was adamant, "No, it's too dangerous! The Geth could attack again at any time."

Shepard nodded in agreement. "We _did_ just clear the skyway, Ms. Baynham, but who knows how fast the Geth will send reinforcements. If you haven't been attacked yet here, I'd recommend you to stay put until we investigate the main ExoGeni facility and can escort you over."

"Why do you need to investigate there?" demanded Jeong sharply.

"Sir, my mission requires me to find out why the Geth are here in the first place. We found nothing at Zhu's Hope, so they must be after something at your main facility."

"That facility is corporate property, soldier. I can't authorize you to trespass on it."

Shepard frowned. "Mr. Jeong, I told you, can the attitude. I don't need your authorization. I'm not just Alliance, I'm also a Council Spectre. I go where my mission dictates."

"A _Spectre?"_

Shepard glared, and impatiently thrust her Council identification into Jeong's face.

"No. No. It has to be a forgery."

"Come off it, Jeong. That's no forgery and you know it." Baynham turned to us. "Commander, if you're going to the main facility, would you keep an eye open for my daughter? Her name is Lizbeth, she's a scientist in the main research office."

Looking at Baynham, seeing a worried mother, Shepard's disposition soften, "I'll see what we can do, if you think she could have survived the Geth."

"Sure, there are some places she could have hidden," Jeong muttered. "For a short time."

Once back in the Mako, the team continued up the ramps to the next Skyway entrance and proceeded onward, with their now familiar battle strategy. Things changed when they got to the third building. It was much more strongly defended, with a greater variety of Geth, including big Juggernauts and frog-like, hopping sniper platforms that proved particularly irritating. The fight was long, and Shepard called a break to make sure everyone had a chance to grab some drinks and energy bars, before moving past the foyer of the facility. Shepard looked unusually fatigued, and Liara was concerned. "Shepard, are you all right? You seem a bit...out of sorts...?" Shepard grimaced. "I'm fine, T'Soni. Just tired of everyone lying to us. Someone knows something about why the Geth are here, yet we've been stonewalled at every turn. I'm getting sick of it." There was no further explanation, and no additional offered conversation. Liara was convinced it was not the whole of the story, but based on Shepard's demeanor, did not press the issue. It was not the time. _Maybe later, in private... _Shepard got up and walked away, scouting, after her last statement to Liara, not wanting to talk about the nagging headache that was slowly driving her crazy. Her short walk actually paid dividends when she located a section of collapsed floor that provided access to the basement and a way around the barrier blocking entrance to the main building. Given no alternative, the team dropped into the hole.

The basement was wet, with standing water and rubble laying everywhere, but there was a door on the far side that seemed easy enough to get to...until someone shot Shepard. It was just a pistol shot that hardly even rippled her barrier. "You're not Geth!" The shooter was a young woman, looking scared to death. Shepard roared, "God damn it! Good way to get yourself killed! What the hell you doing?"

The woman trembled, dropping her pistol, squeaking, "Hiding from the Geth?"

"Of all the stupid things..." Shepard grabbed up the pistol and handed it Liara. "You are so not getting that back. Ever! So don't ask. Now, who the hell are you?

"Lizbeth Baynham," said the woman, rather contritely.

"You're Juliana Baynham's daughter?"

"That's right. You talked to her? Mom's alive?" Lizbeth noticeably brightened.

Shepard frowned. "She and some of the others made it to the midpoint of the skyway. They're hiding out there, safe from the Geth for the moment."

"Are you here to rescue me?"

"No, we're here to kill Geth, and to figure out why they're attacking this hell hole in the first place."

She hesitated, and then resolutely continued. "I think I know. They're after the Thorian."

"The what?"

"The Thorian," Baynham repeated. "It's a native plant life-form. I don't know much, other than the front office has been excited about it for weeks, ever since it was discovered."

"What's special about it?" demanded Shepard.

"I'm not sure, but rumor in the labs was that it has some kind of mind-controlling properties."

"Of course," Liara interrupted. "Shepard, that could explain the entire colony's odd behavior!"

Shepard nodded. "Ms. Baynham, what else can you tell us about the Thorian? Where is it?"

"I never saw it, or any of the lab reports. I only know what I heard through the rumor mill."

Shepard squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head. "Something still doesn't make sense. Saren's gone, but the Geth are still here. Why is that if his only goal was to obtain this Thorian life-form?"

Liara agreed, "You're right. We need to press forward if we are going to solve this mystery. Ms. Baynham, can you stay safe until we get the barrier curtains down?"

The girl looked haunted. "I suppose. I lasted this long. You will come back for me, right?"

Shepard glared, but said nothing, so Liara ignored her and promised Lizbeth they would return.

"Oh, here! It's my pass. It should open any doors and info terminals you come across!"

Shepard grudgingly thanked her and went through the next door, finding a stairwell that climbed back into the main facility, on the far side of the barrier curtain. Near the top of the stairs, Shepard stopped suddenly and held up her fist. The team could hear a voice, an irritated Krogan, somewhere above. "Stupid machine!" Shepard glanced at Wrex, jerked her thumb up the steps and quietly said, "Show's on, big man!" Wrex grinned. "About time, Shepard. I was starting to get bored." He pulled out his shotgun and literally charged up the steps, with Shepard and Liara quickly falling in behind. As Wrex crested the top of the steps, a warp screamed by his head and collided with the wall. "That's your only freebie, you worthless pyjak!" The battle began in earnest, and ended very quickly with Liara flipping out a singularity, suspending the Krogan helplessly in the air. Wrex blasted him at close range with his shotgun, and the battle over almost before it began. "Hrrummf. Weak. That thing shouldn't call himself Krogan."

As Shepard approached, the terminal started speaking. "Hello, Dr Baynham." After a brief question and answer period about the Thorian, also referred to as Species 37, the story was out. Species 37 was a sentient plant that released spores with mind-control properties, which infected anyone who came in contact with them. Over an estimated week-long period, there was sufficient exposure for the compromised colonist to come under the Thorian's control. Species 37 then used the colonist as a thrall, doing it's bidding; providing whatever service the Thorian desired. Lizbeth Baynham and Ethan Jeong both knew about the experiments, and willing let every single colonist become unwittingly exposed. Shepard was livid, and positively growled, "God damn it! More fucking lies! That's the real reason why Jeong didn't want to move to Zhu's Hope! He knew they'd be exposed to the damn spores!"

Liara theorized. "I'm sure that's what Saren wanted. He certainly would have collected spores, and for all we know, it's a plant, he may have taken cuttings to grow more of them."

Shepard immediately keyed her radio in an attempt to warn the Normandy, and got nothing but static; the barrier curtain was an electronic, as well as physical, barrier. "Son of a bitch! Alright, we needed to get the barriers down anyway, let's get it done!" The battle to get out of ExoGeni was just as bad as the one getting in. The new twist was that the barriers were actually powered by a Geth dropship, hanging on the side of the building with huge claw-like grappling devices; the only way to cut the barriers and get out of the building was to dislodge the ship. The team hunted high and low, through multiple rooms over several floors of the building before finding the control room. The Geth were dug in and a pitched battle ensued. It was soon obvious the Geth were well coordinated, so even though the team hadn't seen it yet, there was a Prime somewhere in the room guiding their actions. Shepard and Liara started working in tandem, with singularities and warps, quickly dropping shields and leaving the Geth troopers vulnerable to Wrex and his shotgun, or the occasional second warp. Once the Geth forces were reduced by some measure, the Prime got desperate and came out to play. Once it revealed itself, the battle was over relatively quickly. It was not designed to counter three relatively powerful biotics. Its shields fell quickly, and then the combined conventional firepower easily terminated the engagement. Once in the room, Shepard found and examined the control panel there. The room was actually a small shuttle bay, and the panel controlled the power settings on the external door. After a bit of experimentation, the heavy steel door overloaded and slammed shut, shearing off the grappling device. Without the support, the Geth dropship slowly lost its grip on the side of the building and tumbled, crashing to the planet's surface. The Geth, and the power to the barriers, were gone.

". . . come on, Commander, you've got to be out there. Normandy calling Commander Shepard, come in please."

"Shepard. Go, Normandy."

"Commander! Damn, am I ever glad to hear your voice. We're under lockdown here. The colonists have gone wild. They're trying to break into the ship."

"What happened? Kaidan there?"

"I'm here, Commander," said Kaidan. "Everyone's fine, we all pulled back as per your orders the moment we saw the colonists starting to behave strangely. By the time they had gone into full attack mode we had already locked the ship down."

"Good job. Exactly when did this happen?"

"Must have been a little under two hours ago. We've been trying to raise you ever since. Are you okay?"

"We're fine for now. Follow your orders. Do not under any circumstances let any of the colonists on board. While you're at it, seal the life support systems and break the umbilical connection."

"Sir? Should we be ready to take off?"

"Not yet. Just make sure you're breathing canned air. Get the crew busy running decontamination drills on anything that's been exposed to the Feros atmosphere. I'll explain later. Right now we're on our way back to you. I'll call if I have any more news."

"Aye-aye. Normandy out."

Shepard literally stormed back to Lizbeth Baynham's position. She roared, "You knew! And you didn't tell us!"

She looked down, ashamed, "Yes, I knew! I was going to report them, but they threatened to take me to the Thorian! To enthrall me! If that happened, I knew the truth would never get out. I had finally had enough and was getting ready to call in Colonial Affairs, ask them to come and mount an investigation, when the alarms sounded. I stayed behind to send the message, which is why I missed the evacuation. But I was too late. The power went out before I could transmit, and I got stuck here with the Geth for over a week."

When Shepard spit out, "'I'm leaving your ass here! The Mako only holds three. If your mother still wants you after I tell her what you've done, she can come get you herself!" Liara had to object. "Commander! That's not like you! We can make room in the Mako!" Shepard glared at Liara, who's eyes softened, and she pleaded, beseechingly, "Please, Shepard! We can't' leave her!"

Shepard grumbled. "If you want her in your lap, fine, but if she gets in the way I'll personally throw her ass off the Skyway." Lizbeth almost looked like she'd rather take her chances with the Geth, but she squeezed in the Mako, quiet as a mouse, and they proceeded back to the middle building and the refugees. As the team approached, they heard Jeong, shouting. Shepard signaled everyone into cover, and they watched events unfold.

"Everybody be quiet! Just let me think!"

Juliana Baynham retorted, "You can't get away with this, Jeong. These are human beings you're talking about writing off!"

"Somebody get her out of here!"

A security guard moved forward and took hold of Juliana. At this, Lizbeth leaped out of cover. "Get your hands off her, you sons of bitches!"

Jeong whirled, waving a pistol in the air. "All right, all of you, come out where I can see you!"

Shepard walked out into the open, glaring at both Lizbeth and Jeong.

"Shepard. Damn it, I knew it was too much to hope that the Geth would kill all of you. I found some interesting things about you in the ExoGeni database. I know what you did on Elysium, but your heroics aren't needed here."

Shepard continued to glare. "Seriously, Jeong, you want to go down this road with a Council Spectre?"

"You don't understand. It's not that easy." Jeong made a nervous gesture, as if he couldn't decide what to do with his hands. "Communications are back up. I was able to report to ExoGeni corporate. They want this place purged."

"That's not going to happen," Shepard warned. "These are human beings. Your corporation can't just use them, throw them away, and expect to get away with it."

"There's something here far more valuable than a few colonists!" said Jeong.

"Bullshit. The Thorian is not worth the lives of all these innocent people."

"Damn it," swore Jeong. "How much do you know?"

"The whole story, I'm afraid."

"Wait a minute," interjected Juliana. "What's the Thorian?"

"It's a telepathic life-form living under Zhu's Hope," explained Lizbeth. "It took over the minds of the colonists. ExoGeni knew all along, and they've been studying the effects"

"You knew about it?" demanded Juliana.

Lizbeth only hung her head in silent shame.

Juliana turned on Jeong. "You won't get away with this."

"So you keep saying, but nobody is going to miss a few colonists."

"Jeong, you're missing the bigger picture," said Shepard, her tone of voice completely changed as she leveled her shotgun at the center of Jeong's chest. "You may want to rethink your position. I am not letting you kill colonists for some corporate bullshit."

Liara just knew this was not going to end well. Shepard had been on edge since the first time she saw her today, and her mood had continuously deteriorated throughout the day. Liara did the only thing she could think of...she trapped Jeong in a stasis field.

When the flash of blue power ripped by Shepard, she almost pulled the trigger of her shotgun out of reflex. Jeong was very lucky she did not. Liara quickly stepped around, pried Jeong's pistol from his frozen grip, and handed it to Juliana. She then pointedly scowled at the few security guards in the room. "Do any of you have a problem with the change of leadership you just witnessed?" When none protested, she stepped back and stood at Shepard's side. Samantha seemed to shake herself, _Jesus, I almost just killed that man, just for being a corporate lackey..._ and she slowly stowed her shotgun in the weapons clips on her back. A look of consternation flashed quickly cross her face before she schooled her expression.

Liara exhaled softly in relief as Shepard stowed her weapon_. I think she just found some grounding again... I hope! What is going on?_

Shepard interrupted Liara's contemplations. "Ok, let's load up and go find us a Thorian."

Liara questioned, "Shepard, what about the colonists? They aren't going to let us get anywhere close to that thing..."

Juliana and Lizbeth Baynham approached us. "Commander? We might have an idea. From what Lizbeth tells me, the Thorian exerts its control by infiltrating the human nervous system with its spores. Maybe we can counteract the effect temporarily by administering tetraclopine."

Shepard frowned. "What's that?"

Lizbeth broke in to explain. "It's a compound we use in the grow-labs, as part of our standard insecticide. It acts as a neuromuscular degenerator. Against the Thorian-affected humans it should have an anesthetic effect, knocking them out and suspending the effect of the Thorian's spores for a brief period."

Shepard stared. "Are you really suggesting that I release clouds of nerve gas in the colony?"

"Not at all," Juliana protested. "In the concentrations we're suggesting you use, the compound should be completely harmless in the long run. It might help you incapacitate the colonists without using lethal force against them."

"I guess we could adapt our grenades to disperse this tetra-whatehatever. Like an old-fashioned gas grenade. I'll at least try it. How much of this chemical do you have on hand?"

"Not much," Juliana admitted. "I'll work with you to adapt the grenades."

* * *

The team once again found themselves back in the Mako, this time their modified gas grenades they weren't even sure would work. Shepard seemed a bit more herself when she got behind the wheel, back in familiar territory. For once, Liara did not complain about her driving. When they finally rolled up to the garage, the door would not open. The team was force to abandon the Mako and approach on foot. An odd figure sat off to the side, unnoticed until it started to rise. It almost looked like a husk, except it was purely organic, no tubes and cables. As it approached, Liara's scientific curiosity got the better of her and she stood, entranced, as it got closer. "It seems to be made up entirely of plant fibers and tendrils. Perhaps the Thorian is creating its own proxies, simply imitating human shape?"

Shepard took a step forward and started to issue a warning, "Liara..." The thing suddenly lunged toward Liara, opening its mouth and spewing... something... that Shepard could only interpret as the Thorian spores the info terminal spoke of. Liara gagged, and released a shockwave, throwing everything away from herself in a strong blast. The previously stubborn door suddenly slammed open and almost two dozen more of the Thorian creatures poured out of the garage. All three biotics lit up with singularities and warps, slowly backing up and using controlled weapons fire to keep sufficient distance from the creatures while their biotics recharged. That pattern repeated, until there were no more creatures to kill. As the last one fell, Shepard wheeled on Liara, concern for the Asari temporarily overriding any feelings of rejection and confusion from the night before. "Liara! You alright?" "Honestly, no, I am not. I can smell whatever that was right through the seals of my armor, which must mean they are compromised. Goddess, what a stench! I strongly recommend we don't let any get close enough to do that again!"

"Roger that! Hopefully we won't run into any more, and it won't be an issue. I want to send you back to the Normandy to get the seals replaced, but seeing as they are in lockdown, it's not an option...so, we just need to be quick. Alright... time to see if we can get in."

The minute the team walked through the door, the colonists started shooting, and the team was forced to duck back outside. The inside of the garage was a broad expanse of nothing; no cover to be seen, no way to hide the approach to the colony. Shepard looked pensive for a moment, her earlier frustration returning. "I got this..." Before Wrex or Liara could ask, Shepard activated her tech armor, pulled up a barrier on top of that, stepped into the garage and simply charged the colonists, bobbing and weaving, closing the gap between herself and the colonists as fast as she could. Her barrier sparked and shimmered, threatening to go down. Wrex yelled "Stasis!" as he tossed. Snapped out of her immobilizing shock at the insanity of Shepard's tactics, Liara quickly followed suit. Shepard closed the gap, and softly lobbed the grenade into the middle of the colonists. When it went off, all the colonists dropped like rocks. Shepard checked them quickly and stood up. "They're still breathing. We're done here, let's move on."

Wrex started chuckling, then let out a full up roar of laughter, and shouted..."Oooohhh, I like you Shepard! Give me grenade! I get to do the next one!" Liara was just aghast. And so, Shepard and Wrex took turns lobbing grenades, while Liara, and whoever's turn it wasn't, tossed out stasis fields just to drop them again as soon as the grenade was lobbed. They ran into more of the Thorian husks, simply falling back to draw them safely away from the colonists before killing them. The separation plan worked well to prevent accidental collateral damage. They finally made it to the center of the colony, and the only colonist left was Fai Dan.

"I tried to fight it," he told us. "It gets in your head. You can't imagine the pain. I was supposed to be their leader. These people trusted me."

Shepard stared at Fai Dan, backing away slowly.

The colonist continued forward, gesturing with his pistol. "It wants me to stop you . . . but I won't."

"Oh, to hell with this," Shepard muttered. She threw her last gas grenade, and just like the rest, Fai Dan gasped and went down

Shepard shook her head. "Nobody gets left for that thing to _use__.__"__ Even an annoying fuck like Fai Dan._

* * *

Shepard got on the comm. "Normandy, colonials are down. Dispatch Team 2 to the colony ASAP, full hard suits." Kaidan's voice responded, "Roger that ma'am, be there in five." When the second team rolled in, the whole group descended down into the tunnels under Zhu's Hope. The air got warmer and more humid the farther they descended, to the point where it started to feel... oppressive. The level of banter between the crewmates decreased with the elevation. The team finally reached the bottom of the stairwell, and Shepard, of course in the lead, stopped dead in her tracks. "That's...large." Garrus looked up and coughed, "I think we're going to need bigger guns." The Thorian occupied a central chamber, that rose though the many stories of the stairs the team just descended. It was positively huge. Kaidan asked, "How the hell are we even supposed to kill that?" Of course Wrex laughed. "If I can kill a Thresher Maw, we can certainly kill a plant!"

A pod-like section attached to the Thorian started a convulsive, heaving motion, and the team backed away in alarm. Suddenly, the plant...birthed?...a being that was an Asari?

"Shiala?" came Liara's shocked question. Shepard was immediately following up. "You know her?"

"This looks like Shiala, one of my mother's acolytes, as well as a childhood friend of mine."

"Liara, I don't think that's really an Asari," said Kaidan.

"Of course not. It must be another of the Thorian's proxies. Still, the resemblance to Shiala is quite remarkable."

Then the Shiala-thing decided to speak. "Invaders! Your every step is a transgression. A thousand feelers appraise you as _meat,_ fit only to dig or to decompose. I speak for the Old Growth, as I did for Saren. You stand within and before the Thorian. It commands that you be in awe! Saren sought knowledge of those who are gone. The Old Growth listened to flesh for the first time in the Long Cycle. Trades were made."

"Would you be willing to trade with us as well?" asked Shepard. "I need the same knowledge that Saren took."

"Never_._ After Saren departed, his Cold Ones came and sought the destruction of the Old Growth. They began killing the flesh meant to tend the next cycle. Flesh fairly given! Falsehood and betrayal!"

Shepard sighed. "Yes, Saren has a habit of doing that."

"The Old Growth sees the air you push as lies! There will be no more trades with flesh! No more will the Old Growth listen to those that scurry and nibble and betray. Your lives may be short, but they have already gone on too long. Your flesh will feed the ground and the new growth!"

With that, the Shiala-thing made a commanding gesture and ignited with blue light. A telekinetic bolt flew out, hurling Shepard backward against a stone column... then more of those organic husk like things flooded onto the portico from both sides. Kaidan and Liara, having become accustomed to working together, instantly teamed up and took on the Shiala-thing. Garrus and Ashley started blasting away with their assault rifles, and Wrex simply charged, stomped, and blew things up with warps and his shotgun. He slapped one of the husk things away from Shepard, then picked her up by an equipment clip on the back of hard-suit. They all laughed at it later, because it had the look of someone picking up an impudent varren pup by the scruff of its neck. Shepard grunted a "Thanks!" and the battle was on. The Kaidan-Liara team finally took the Shiala thing out of the picture, and without its help, the husks seemed less organized and much easier to kill.

Ashley cried out, "Hey, Shepard! Check this out...it looks like an anchor for one of the support cables on this thing. What do you think?" Shepard looked at it, looked back at Ashley and flashed her a wicked smile. "Only one way to find out..." They both started firing together. The node exploded, the end of the cable went whipping through the air and the Thorian shuddered and ... shrieked! Shepard looked around at all her teammates. "Guess we know what we've got to do!"

The same sequence of events repeated itself over and over. The Thorian popped out a Shiala-thing, droves of organic husks ran to assist. The Normandy crew killed the Shiala-thing, polished off the organic husks, and finally worked their way to the next wall anchor and destroyed it. Continually working upwards, the crew finally destroyed one last node and the Thorian finally became too heavy to support itself on what cables remained. It sheared from the walls and fell, crashing downward, to the bottom of the well we had ascended over the last hour of constant fighting. Shepard stood on the edge of the chasm, looking down, and slowly shipped her weapon onto one of her suit hard points. "Shit." She slowly turned and started walking away when Ashley, forever the observer, pointed to a spot along the wall and said, "What the hell is that?"

A series of oblong pods were stuck to the wall, and while most were hanging limply, one was rippling with motion, eventually tearing open and dumping its content onto the floor. It was another Shiala-thing... or not. Liara was the first to comprehend what, or who, actually, was in front of them. She gasped, "Shiala!" and ran to her childhood friend, tearing at the tendrils and remains of the sack that had imprisoned her. Shiala seemed in a daze, slowly taking in what was happening around her, and she finally locked onto the face of the person who was helping her. "Liara?" Shiala was very confused, and had difficulty standing. Liara wrapped Shiala in her arms and held her tight, until Shiala found her balance and seemed able to stand on her own. As Liara released her, Shiala looked around and said "Thank you, all of you. Thank you for my freedom." She then began her long of her service to the Matriarch, ending up allied to Saren, and eventually sacrificed to the Thorian when Saren needed her to communicate with the Thorian. He bartered her life away for access to something he called the Cipher. Shepard had to ask..."I thought Saren is after the Conduit? What's the Cipher have to do with it?"

Shiala explained, "The beacon on Eden Prime gave you visions . . . but the visions are confusing and unclear."

Shepard nodded. "I'll say. I've had no luck making sense of them."

"Neither did Saren, until he came here. The visions were meant for a Prothean mind. To truly comprehend them, you must be capable of thinking like a Prothean. You must understand their language, their culture, their history, everything that made them distinctive and unique. The Thorian had that knowledge. When the Protheans lived on Feros, it watched and studied them. It made some of them its thralls, just as it made me and the humans above its thralls. When they died, it consumed them. They became a part of it. That knowledge is the Cipher."

"So if he could learn to think like a Prothean, he would be able to understand the vision."

"That is correct," said Shiala. "The Cipher gave him the ability to fathom the vision in its entirety. It was not enough to find the Conduit, but it was an enormous step forward. Saren is very close to attaining his goals."

"Then I need the Cipher too. How do I get it, now that the Thorian is gone?"

Shiala smiled. "There is a way. I retain the knowledge from my own melding with the Thorian. If I were to join my mind with yours . . ."

Shiala had always been very sensitive to the moods of others, and she noticed Liara's reaction to the offer of joining. "Liara, is something wrong?"

Liara glanced at Shepard, and whispered, "No. Nothing at all."

Shiala lowered her voice, so that no one but the three of them would hear. "Liara? Are you involved with this human?"

Shepard glanced at Liara, beginning to understand, but said nothing. Liara had made her position clear. _Too damn distracting, right?_

Liara sighed, feeling the resentment ebb away, leaving only bitter disappointment at lost opportunity in its wake. "Yes, Shiala. Commander Shepard and I ...are exploring the possibilities. She and I have not joined as yet."

"I understand. Commander, I don't wish to intrude on your relationship with Liara, but I truly see no other way. The Cipher cannot be taught, only experienced."

Shepard was a bit confused, "Can you give us a minute?"

Shiala nodded and moved gracefully away, going to speak to the others.

Shepard made direct eye contact and purposely used the pet name she had adopted. "Blue."

Liara shook her head angrily. "Don't say it. I know what you have to do. I have no right to be angry, or jealous. It is I who insisted on the need to put my personal feelings aside for the sake of the mission."

For the second time, Samantha placed a gentle hand under the Asari's chin, tipping Liara's face up so she could look into her eyes. "Liara, you told me about the many types of melds. I have no intention of bonding with Shiala. This information exchange..." Shepard faltered and started over. "...'We' are not as settled as you made me believe last night. My feelings for you haven't changed. I'll wait. I haven't changed my mind on that. I promise." Shepard leaned forward and place a familiar kiss gently on her forehead, whispering softly, "Liara. You are wonderful, and I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with you."

Liara's breath caught and she felt an inappropriate pang in her core. It was the first time Shepard gave any indication as to the true depth of her feelings and Liara's eyes glistened with remorse, realizing she had hurt Samantha with her uncertainty. "Shepard. I know this has to happen. I just . . . I wanted it to be me."

"I know. Have faith...this won't change anything between us. I just have one question, but it's important. You know Shiala. Do. you. Trust. her?"

Liara paused, then whispered, "Yes, Shepard, I do." A single tear escaped down the Asari's cheek. Shepard's thumb wiped the tear away and she released her hold on Liara's chin.

Shepard turned to Shiala and resolutely stated, "I'm ready."


	8. Coming Clean

Receiving the cipher was almost as taxing as getting hit by the beacon, minus the explosion. The images in Samantha's head were floating in and out of focus and she was having a hard time holding on to any particular train of thought. When she and Shiala separated, Sam discovered she was down on her knees, shaking and sweating like she had been gripped by some malevolent fever. She stood up, weakly, and shook her head. The crew looked on, concern etched in their faces, and Liara gave voice to the question they were all thinking. "Shepard, are you alright?" "Yeah, my head just needs time to sort all the info now, and translate it into something I can understand. I'll be fine. We just need to get out of here and back to the Normandy. I feel like I could sleep for a week." They all retreated from the Thorian pit, and after brief discussions with the colonists, were soon on their way. Shepard felt her headache growing with every step, and by the time they reached the Normandy she was practically radiating misery.

As soon as the decontamination protocol finished and the airlock opened onto the ship, Shepard barked, "Joker, Citadel, on the double!" Liara had never seen the commander so...agitated. She quickly stowed her gear and hurriedly followed behind. Shepard sensed her following and wheeled around, pointing directly at her, leaving no room for argument. "You, straight to the med bay. Have Doc Chakwas check you over, make sure there's no risk of contamination or complications from those damn spores. Then, make sure all the damaged seals in your suit are replaced so your armor is ready for the next mission." Liara was well aware of Shepard's dark mood and wanted to speak to her about it, but as she hesitated, readying her retort, Shepard cut off any chance of reply. Scowling, the commander simply ordered, "Now, T'Soni," and turned and walked away.

* * *

Liara wasted no time getting to the med bay. The faster she completed her assigned 'tasks,' the faster she could get back to Shepard. Karin was somewhat surprised by the apparent urgency in Liara's demeanor, as the normally reserved Asari practically blasted into the room. "Liara! What's wrong?" Karin stood and moved quickly to her side, her practiced medical eye detecting nothing obviously amiss.

"I am sorry, Karin... nothing important, just in a bit of a hurry." Liara explained about the Thorian and the spores potentially leaking through her suit seals. While Karin completed her exam, she mentally noted to evaluate every member of the ground team, just to ensure no one suffered exposure... While the ship's decontamination processing would remove any external contaminants, it would not prevent inhalation of such if there was a potential for a seal breach, as in Liara's case.

Karin's pronouncement that she was perfectly fit did not seem to ease Liara in the slightest. "So, Liara...the potential seal breach is a non issue, yet I can tell something still concerns you. Want to talk about whatever is worrying you?"

"No..." Liara hesitated, looking at the floor. "Yes, I do, but I am not sure it is my place to do so, Karin." Liara looks back up, her eyes silently pleading for Karin's understanding.

"So, my guess is it must involve someone else, and not be a personal issue...and knowing you, it most likely involves the commander." Liara looked startled by Karin's observation. "Oh come now, Liara! You surely don't believe that I could have possibly failed to notice the way you two look at one another. There is an obvious concern for each other's wellbeing, though I will not presume to speculate at how deep that concern may go. However, I will say that I have noticed you exert a certain...calming effect... on the commander. You are good for her." Karin smiled and finished, "And, however frustrating a patient she may be to me, the Commander is a good person. Whatever your relationship may be, you should know that as your friend, I approve."

At this, Liara blushed furiously. "To be honest, Karin, I am not really sure what our relationship is...the commander is..." Liara shrugged, "the commander! She can be horribly domineering and sometimes unforgiving. She seems a force of nature, at times wild and uncontrollable... yet, on other occasions she is kind and patient, and I simply do not understand how I can possibly feel the way I do after such a short period. Sometimes I can hardly help myself. I am relatively young, and have never experienced anything like this. I am really very unsure how to approach the whole thing...and then there is the mission!" Liara suddenly started, "Goddess! See what I mean? I had no intention of speaking of this... it is not what is causing my current state!"

Karin chuckled, "No worries, Liara. You have my utmost confidentiality. This conversation shall never leave this room." Karin then frowned, continuing, " But it does beg the question... what about the commander is causing your current distress?" Liara answered the only way she knew how...with the truth...starting with Ashley's confrontation with the Petty Officer, through Shepard's irritated entry to the mess at lunchtime, continuing to the present, and how her mood and edginess had continued to get worse as time progressed, to the point when Liara had felt the need... no, absolute necessity... to step in before Shepard killed Ethan Jeong.

Karin was shocked, concern etched in her face, realizing just how much out of character that was for the Samantha Shepard she knew. "Liara, you must speak with her. I would do so, but I feel it would make Shepard not trust either of us at this point. That will not do. She must trust you explicitly, to ensure she will talk with you freely. I'm afraid we must go down this path for now, at least until we find out what is troubling her. There will be a time in the future for her to learn the existence of this conversation, but not until she is...more receptive to assistance in her current situation." Liara nodded in understanding, hoping she did not screw this up and totally destroy any prospect of a future with the woman, she was now realizing, she had come to both respect and love.

* * *

Sam gave a sharp rap to the panel that opens the door to her room and stalked in, not really sure what to do. Her head felt like it was ready to explode, but she didn't feel like having to deal with Dr Chakwas' condescending attitude right now. She realized that was an unfair assessment. Karin was a good friend, and truly cared about the wellbeing of the Normandy crew. What Sam really felt, was Karin didn't deserve 'Commander Shepard's' foul mood right now. No one did, that's why she retreated to her cabin. Her indecision on what to do next was solved by pure habit. She stripped off her armor and threw it into the corner, grabbed some sweats, and plopped down in her desk chair, thinking to write up the Feros report. _God, I am so damned tired!_

Instead of turning on her terminal, Sam put her head down, pushing her chair back far enough so just her forehead lay on the cool metal surface of the desk. She tucked her hair up behind her ears on both sides of her head and pressed her thumbs into her temples, sweating, and her head swimming with vertigo. Sam had no idea how much time had passed when she heard her door chime...she ignored it. A few moments later, it chimed again and Sam just sat there, hoping whoever it was would go away. That hope was dashed when she heard the door slide open, followed quickly by the tentative voice of Liara T'Soni. "Commander?"

Sam sighed and sat up, trying to put on a brave face as Liara hesitantly stepped into the room. Quietly, Samantha asked, "What is it, Liara?"

"I apologize if I am disturbing you but the crew is worried..." _As am I_. "Are you feeling alright?"

Shepard realized Liara wasn't going to give up, so she took a deep breath and exhaled softly, trying to calm her frazzled nerves and aching head_. I will not snap at Liara, I will NOT snap at Liara..._ "Well, if we're going to chat, you may as well come in and sit down, so I don't have to yell across the room."

As Liara moved into the room and got a good look at Shepard, she inhaled sharply, making the commander wonder just how bad she looked, to elicit a response like that.

"Samantha! _Goddess!_ You look...horribly pale. Why have you not gone to see Karin? It this all from the Cipher?"

Samantha grimaced while she rolled her head around, trying to release some of the tension in her neck. _Oh hell, they say confession is good for the soul, right?_ "No, it's not all from the cipher. I've basically had a constant headache since the beacon and I've not been sleeping well.

Liara's eyes narrowed, a hint of frustration and anger in her voice, "Not sleeping well since when? How long, Shepard?"

"Like I said, since the beacon. The nightmare I had during my semi-comatose state recurs almost nightly. I wake up in a sweat, and frequently can't get back to sleep. I've been getting maybe three hours a night."

It was obvious Liara was upset. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath and paused before she responded, "And you haven't spoken to Karin about it. You haven't spoken to anyone about it, have you?" The last was more of a concerned accusation than a question.

"I... I can't tell Karin..." "If I did, she'd just give me sleeping pills, or come up with something even more drastic... We've got too much going on for me to be doped up and suffering a sleeping aid hangover that takes away my edge."

Liara, clearly frustrated, blurted out, "Oh yes, and sleep deprivation certainly has no such effect on performance, now, does it! Samantha, sometimes you can be most stubborn... and foolish!"

Shepard's eyes narrowed. "Tread lightly, T'Soni. You're walking awfully close to that fine line between friendship and insubordination..."

Liara immediately backed off, speaking more softly as she continued. "I am sorry, Samantha. I am just very concerned about you right now...I must say I am worried that the addition of the cipher is...uh... I don't know how to phrase this so you do not believe I am speaking condescendingly...because that is not my intention!"

Samantha sighed. "Just spit it out Liara. I've told you one of the things I like about you is your unadulterated truths. Just say it, I'll try to take it at face value."

"Very well, I will be blunt. I have told you before, anyone who has ever attempted direct interaction with a beacon has been left either mentally incompetent or worse, dead. My concern is that with the addition of the cipher, your mind is now attempting to capture and understand all the data from the beacon... and it may actually be exceeding the limit of your brain's processing capability. I am afraid for your continuing mental soundness, Shepard. I think you are to the point where you must let me help you, or we risk losing you to madness..." Liara's voice became extremely soft and pleading. "Please, Samantha, let me help you."

Sam sat back in her chair and closed her eyes, considering what Liara just said. No doubt the headaches had continued to get worse, and if she was honest with herself, she couldn't attribute it solely to the nightmares and resultant lack of sleep. Over the years, through all her nightmares of tactics gone wrong and multiple sleepless nights over days of continuous battle, she had never experienced anything like this. The current circumstances were unique. As much as she hated it, she had to recognize the truth that may lay behind Liara's words...and if she excepted any of it as truth, she also had to accept that just maybe this was something she couldn't fix on her own.

"So, Liara," Samantha began, slowly opening her eyes and looking directly at the Asari seated before her. "How exactly do you propose to help me?"

_Thank the Goddess!_ Liara sighed in relief. "I am thinking to meld with you, Shepard. An exchange meld, nothing deeper. I am hoping your knowledge of the cipher and my expertise on the Protheans, combined with the interaction between two persons, instead of you attempting to process all the information alone, will be sufficient to relieve the stress, and allow us to basically convert the data into a form our minds are able to recognize as organic knowledge, instead of a foreign object forcibly interjected into your consciousness."

"And you are confident this will work?" Samantha seemed hesitant. "The meld with Shiala hit me like a ton of bricks, and it just seemed to exacerbate the issue even more..."

Liara looked directly into Shepard's eyes, trying to convey some semblance of assurance and trust. "No, I would not say... confident...is necessarily the correct word, because I have never tried this...deciphering beacon knowledge...before. However, the circumstances are different... Shiala was passing yet more information to you, where this will be more of a sorting, a cataloguing and organizing of data already there, an attempt to make sense of it, to reduce its complexity. That... reduction... is our goal. Honestly, I cannot say for certain it will work, but I see little choice. Also, Asari are trained from birth for the exchange of knowledge though melding, and how to shield ourselves from unwanted intrusion, a form of mental discipline that is required to protect ourselves. You have some of that disciple through your biotic training, but I hope I can help you improve your skills, to improve your mental barriers to better shield yourself, both from outside influences as well as from within."

Samantha listened carefully as Liara explained how this meld would be slightly different from her exchange with Shiala. Sam would have to be an active participant, selecting those memories from the beacon she wanted Liara to see. Liara warned her that if Sam thought it, Liara would see it through the meld, so for privacy, Sam needed to stay focused on the task at hand; focus solely on the beacon, until she could learn barrier control. Once Samantha resigned herself to the limitations and inherent risks of the exchange, she and Liara joined hands, and Liara initiated the meld.

{_Samantha, focus on the beacon images. Show me_} Liara felt a barrier pressing against her mind and she could see nothing from Shepard. {_Perhaps you are better at barriers than I gave you credit for..._} She did not want to force herself into Samantha's consciousness, even to just get the flow of information started. She needed Samantha to start the exchange voluntarily. {_Samantha, you have to trust me...relax, and...trust me._} Liara felt Sam take a deep breath and slow her heart rate. As she relaxed, she began to tentatively open her mind to Liara. {_That's good. Breath, relax, trust me. I will take no more than you give._}

{_This is strange...can you actually 'hear' me?_} More than hearing, Samantha actually 'felt' Liara laugh; it was an odd sensation, but somehow comforting. {_Oh, now, that's just weird!_}

{_Yes, Commander, I can actually hear you. That is the point, after all._} Sam could actually feel the smile in Liara's voice, and she smiled in response. {_See, not so scary after all, is it, Commander?_}

Samantha grinned. {_Liara, you're in my head... I'm pretty sure you can call me Samantha in here..._} Liara laughed again, and Sam realized the sound was more...vibrant...through the meld, because she couldn't just hear it, she could honestly feel it, like it was rumbling from her own chest, not some outside source. It added another dimension to the allure that was Liara. Samantha felt Liara...get warm?...blush? {_Careful, Samantha... we are linked. Unshielded thoughts will pass freely between us, and I forget you are new to this...Your thoughts are my thoughts... I was unprepared for your...uncensored emotions, and such things are... very... distracting..._} Shepard unintentionally, yet instinctively, clamped down on her thoughts and spoke aloud, "crap!" She felt Liara wince heavily.

{_Ouch! Samantha! Be careful! Withdrawing so abruptly can actually break the link...as well as cause physical pain! That...hurt...a bit. Try to stay relaxed._} A remorseful Samantha apologized and forced herself to relax again, slowly reopening herself to the link.

{_We'll work on your barriers at a later time... for now, let's get to the task at hand, shall we? Please, focus on the beacon images._} Making herself focus on the beacon was difficult, since she had been working so hard to suppress those images, it was more difficult to get started than she assumed it would be. However, once they started flowing, it was like a dam burst and they came flooding forward, almost faster than she could process what she was seeing. She received encouragement and guidance from Liara. {_Take control, Samantha! You are very strong willed. You can control the rate of flow. Do not let the images dictate to you. You own them. You control them. Force them to slow, to stop...good. Very good. Now, begin again...easy...slower this time, so I can see. Don't just let them flow...show them to me, slowly...ah, much better!_}

Samantha could feel Liara's presence in her mind, like a reassuring, steadying hand, guiding her to smooth out the image flow. Once the vision played itself through at a rate Liara could assimilate, she asked Samantha to repeat it once more, to make sure she hadn't missed anything, and to let Samantha control the image flow on her own. On the second pass, Liara concentrated solely on the images. Then, before terminating the link, Liara guided her through setting up some protections for herself. Samantha compared it to setting up a bookcase. She packed the Prothean images into a book, closed it, and put it on the shelf. It was there to call upon, remove from the shelf and read at leisure, but she was no longer forced to carry it with her everywhere. Samantha didn't realize the weight of the burden she had been carrying until it was gone. Liara then guided her through a relaxed, gentle withdrawal from contact.

After the link was broken, Liara squeezed her eyes closed, surprised at how tired she felt. "I should have brought an energy drink... I have only exchanged memories with other Asari before this. I had no idea it could be so... taxing... to join with an untrained mind." Samantha looked surprised. "Really? I feel fine... You do this all the time, why would you be so tired?"

Liara contemplated for a moment, trying to figure out how to best explain it. "Well, I am the one who had to actually maintain the meld, and support you until you learned to navigate. It was made more taxing by your initial lack of control...particularly when you tried to force it closed so abruptly. Think of it as taking a warp hit...even with barriers up, it can still make you stumble."

"Yeah, sorry about that, again... I didn't know. If I had understood that, I would have tried to be more careful."

"I do not think it would have mattered, that is why I did not explain it in advance. It would have just made you more apprehensive about the process and made the initial contact more difficult to establish. Until you get used to the process and can place complete trust in your meld partner, you will continue to react on instinct. It is who you are. Until you can retrain yourself, I do not believe you could change it if you tried." While Liara was speaking, Samantha had retrieved an energy drink and handed it to her. "So, I guess we should continue. I am afraid I do not really have good news." Samantha didn't want to hear that, but ever the consummate professional, urged Liara to continue. "You were correct, it is definitely a warning, but it is incomplete. I fear when the beacon exploded, the remainder of the message was cut off, so we do not have all the information."

Samantha stood, and started pacing. "So, we still need more information to track down Saren, and we have to hope we find info on the Conduit before he does. You sure there's absolutely nothing in the vision we can use?"

"Nothing immediately apparent. Though, I am tired, and once I rest something may stand out to me. That remains to be seen. We can hope." Liara attempted to give her a reassuring smile, but it just let Samantha see how tired she was. "Alright, Liara, we'll talk about it again tomorrow, after we sleep on it, while we're en route to the Citadel. On a good note, however... I have to tell you, I think my headache is gone. If nothing else, that is certainly a tremendous improvement! I wish I hadn't let Kaidan's reaction dissuade us from doing this the first time you offered." For the first time since Liara had met her, Shepard actually looked embarrassed. "Would have saved everyone a bit of anxiety I think. I know I've been hard to live with lately."

"Do not second guess yourself, Commander. It does not become you. Without the cipher, we may not have been able to understand most of it anyway, and you would have risked the ire and respect of your crew for nothing."

Flashing a grin, Samantha protested, "Thanks, Liara, but if you call me Commander one more time in a private conversation, I'm going to toss you out on your ear." Liara laughed weakly. "If you have not noticed, Samantha, I do not have protruding ears like you humans, though I do get the gist of your comment. Besides, that would be the least of what I have done to risk your ire..." Samantha actually laughed, cutting her off. "Liara, you have never done anything to make me angry, disappointed maybe, and concerned for your welfare. You are not a soldier, and I worry when you put yourself in the way of danger that you are not trained to handle."

"Shepard, please, let me finish...you do not know of what I speak, and I feel the need to clear the air...I have been less than truthful with you." A flicker of guilt raced across Liara's face.

That got Samantha's attention and she stopped her pacing directly in front of the Asari, looking straight into her eyes, a hint of anxiety creeping into her voice. "Tell it to me straight, Liara. What are you talking about?" Liara hung her head, telling the full story of her earlier discussion with Karin, from her early confusion as to the cause of the commander's ill mood, straight through to the harboring of unfamiliar feelings that Liara now possibly defined as love. During the course of her confession, Liara watched a kaleidoscope of emotions cross Samantha's face, but never once did Sam interrupt; she let Liara tell her tale in full. Liara concluded, "I never uttered a false statement to you, but I committed a lie of omission by not telling you the full story behind why I came here tonight. Given my current feelings for you, I could not let it stand if we are to have any future of an honest relationship."

Sam didn't budge, keeping eye contact with Liara, who, to her credit, did not look away, ready to accept whatever judgment Shepard passed upon her. "Liara, I cannot fault you for being concerned for me, and I can wish I never gave you cause for concern, but wishing won't make it true." Sam is the one who dropped her head. "I have to be honest, I can't find fault with what you did. If anything, I feel like I should be apologizing to you for letting it get so out of control to begin with. I am the one who caused this; you have repeatedly asked how I was, and I never told you anything that was going on in my head. Not about the nightmares, not about the severity of the headaches. You're not the only one who omitted pertinent information. I'm sorry too, Liara... truly. Forgive me?"

"Oh, Samantha...we will just need to forgive each other! I guess we were both caught up in events, and I am still somewhat overwhelmed by the strength of what I feel for you, though there is little doubt in my mind anymore as to what these feeling are. I am unsure as to where to go from here, but...I do believe I love you, Samantha Shepard." Sam's heart jumped, and her face lit up with a smile that was echoed in both her own eyes and Liara's. Sam reached down and gently caressed Liara's cheek. Liara reached up and trapped Samantha's hand, closing her eyes and leaning into the caress, just enjoying the moment. She slowly willed her eyes back open and sighed, "However, now is not the time for this discussion. I am extremely tired and I need to sleep." Liara stood as she finished, "I will see you tomor... ohhh..." Liara's hand rose quickly to pinch the bridge of her nose, staggering. Samantha reacted quickly and caught Liara before she could fall, pulling her close to support her. "Liara! Are you alright?...Liara? Talk to me, damn it!"

Getting no response, a now alarmed Shepard shifted her grip, scooping her up and in a few quick strides, carefully laid Liara down on the bed. She quickly retreated to the bathroom and got a glass of water and a cool cloth, returning to Liara's side and laying the cloth on her forehead. _I don't even know if this is the right thing to do for Asari! Shit!_ Worried, she placed a call to Dr Karin Chakwas and prepared herself for the imminent tongue-lashing she knew would follow. Sam softly stroked a pale blue cheek before her, "Come on, Liara, talk to me... please be alright..." _Damn it, Karin, where are you?_ After a few moments, an eternity in Samantha's eyes, Liara recovered a bit and attempted to rise. Samantha was having none of it, placing a firm but gentle hand on Liara's shoulder, keeping her in place. "You're staying put for now, at least until Karin looks at you. I've already called her and she's on her way. I'm not adding 'letting you get up and walk around in your weakened state' to my transgressions!" Samantha smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but Liara could tell she was concerned. The door opened, and Dr Chakwas walked in to hear Liara's protest. "I am fine, Samantha, though I suppose maybe I should have actually consumed the energy drink you handed me, instead of setting it on the desk.. The meld obviously took more out of me than I realized, and I stood too quickly when I decided it was time for me to go, that's all." Samantha protested, "Hmmf. Right. Tell it to the Doc! You're still not budging until she looks at you!"

"And seeing as I am here, I will concur with that statement, Commander. And tell me I did not just hear you say 'Meld!' From the top, what have you two been doing to put Liara in this sorry state?" After the full story was recounted, during which time Liara received her second physical of the day, Karin stood back and glared at both of them. "I see no damage...brain activity seems normal and no indicators merit further concern, so I am forced to accept Liara's self-diagnosis. However, I cannot believe that you both thought it such a fine idea to commence an initial meld, both still exhausted from a mission, in an agitated state, and apparently without adult supervision. Have you both taken complete leave of your senses?"

Samantha could see the doc was building toward a full-up lecture. "Oh, come on Doc, look at the bright side. My headache is gone, and I feel better than I have in weeks...You get my normally bright, cheery personality back! Haven't you missed it?" Shepard cast out her best lopsided grin in a hopeful attempt to deflect the storm she knew was coming. Liara didn't have the strength to protest anyway, so just laid back on the bed and accepted the chastisement.

"Do. Not. Even. Go. There, Commander! I am happy your headache is not currently bothering you. However, I am not happy with the fact I didn't know headaches and nightmares were issues to begin with! Do you not think that was relevant information to pass on to your physician? What were you thinking? You of all people should know better! At this particular moment in time, I am loathe to admit that I actually do like you, Commander, but if you let sleep deprivation get you, or someone on your crew killed, I shall never forgive you!" Samantha started to protest, but Karin held up a hand, stopping her. "I am not finished with you yet, Commander. Not a word! You have a responsibility not only to yourself, but to the entire crew of the Normandy. I will never question your ability to command, you are one of the best leaders I have ever had the privilege of working with. The Normandy deserves to have you at your best, and I cannot help but wonder if you had been at the top of your game, perhaps Tali would not have been injured on this last foray on Feros."

With that statement, Dr Chakwas pushed Sam past her breaking point and her face turned red with anger. "That's enough, Karin! I get your point, but you know better! I would never put my crew at risk because of a personal issue! Never!"

Karin did not back down, but responded in a much more gentle voice, "Yes, I do know you better, Samantha, but no one else on this crew has known you since you were eight years old, since working on the SSV Fuji with your mother! You have to establish and maintain their trust as well. I'm sorry I made you angry, but based on what I consider to have been very irresponsible behavior over the last couple of weeks, I felt you needed a strong reminder of that. I apologize if I overstepped." With that, Karin fell silent, waiting for Shepard to make some response. Sam just stared at her for a minute, then roughly sat down on the bed. Without thinking, Liara reached over and laid a supportive hand on her thigh.

"Shit. I hate it when you are so right I can't even come up with a valid retort. You're a medical doctor, not a psych...sometimes I think you know me too well, Karin." Sam looked up, resignation in her eyes. Karin actually laughed. "Oh, Commander! Don't be giving me those big puppy dogs eyes. You aren't eight anymore...it doesn't fit your tough commander image! Now, you two stay put, I'll be back shortly." With that, Karin abruptly turned and left the commander's room.

Samantha and Liara both watched the doctor's unexpected exit in surprise. Sam, suddenly realizing Liara was gently rubbing her leg, reached down and captured her hand, turning to scrutinize Liara's face. "Hey, you...how are you feeling? Really." Liara could see the concern etched in Samantha's brow. "I'm fine, truly. Just very, very tired. Too much for one day." Liara's eyes drifted closed with her admission. Sam's free hand tenderly stroked the Asari's forehead; Liara seemed to purr in contentment, and it made Samantha's chest ache with adoration. "You scared me, more than I ever thought possible." Liara's eyes opened, looking sad, but she had a gentle smile on her face. "I'm sorry. It was certainly not my intention." Their conversation was interrupted with the return of Karin Chakwas, bearing dinner trays.

"Eat. Relax. Sleep. No work. Neither of you are to leave this room for at least eight hours." Liara protested, "But this is not my room!" Samantha's face lit up with a mischievous grin, which Karin noted. "I said sleep, Commander. You are to monitor each other, making sure the other rests and does not attempt to work. Samantha, you will ensure Liara does not overexert herself, and Liara, you are to be here in case Samantha has another of her nightmares. You will keep each other company, and keep each other honest at the same time. It's either that, or you both will spend the night sleeping in my med bay. Monitor each other, or I monitor you both. Your choice, though I would prefer to not be up all night checking on you." Liara looked at Shepard, who shrugged her shoulders, grinned and said, "Doctor's orders...I'd rather sleep here..." She glanced at Liara and finished her sentence, "...and didn't I tell you she'd come up with something drastic?" Liara hesitantly agreed, and Karin, satisfied, left them to eat and get some rest.

They sat, sharing the food Karin brought, in quiet companionship. When they were nearly done, Samantha broke the silence. "Um...So...you ok with this, or you want me to sleep on the floor?" Liara froze for a second, not really sure how to respond, and Sam continued, nervous. "I mean, really, all I want to do is sleep, but I can't say the idea of snuggling you close does not appeal to me..." Liara gave up. "I am not going to make you sleep on floor, it is your room for Goddess sake. And since Karin has decided to thrust us into this situation, I guess we just need to make the best of it." Liara started to smile. "And I must admit, the idea of having you close right now feels... very...comforting." Her eyes moved away and her smile turned bashful. Samantha took the food trays and placed them on the desk, and carefully returned to the bed. Liara laid back on the pillow, and Sam laid back propped up on one elbow, facing Liara, her other hand reaching out and caressing Liara's soft cheek. Liara's eyes were closed as she whispered softly, "Oh...Shepard...I am so exhausted. Just...please...can you just hold me?" Samantha laid down flat, and Liara rolled to her side and cuddled into the nook of the closest shoulder as Sam engulfed her in her arms. Sam let out a deep sigh, "This feels...right, Liara." Liara purred softly, in agreement, and both being so tired, they drifted quickly into fitful sleep.


	9. Doctor's Orders

Garrus sighed, wishing the Council was not so openly...hostile...toward the first human Spectre. He realized circumstances dictated they promote Shepard to the position before they wanted any human in the Spectre corps, but once they accepted that as a necessity, did they really have to question literally every decision she made? "Counselors, as I told you at the start, Commander Shepard is still in her mandatory medical rest period as prescribed by Dr Chakwas. The remaining two hours of that time have not passed in the seven minutes we have been conversing, so yes, she remains still unavailable to answer questions."

The Turian counselor, Sparatus, was clearly agitated. "We simply must know if she gleaned any pertinent information from the Asari released by the Thorian...this, Shiala, and why Shepard chose to leave her with the colonists and not take a known, willing, conspirator with Matriarch Benezia, into custody!"

This statement got Tevos, the Asari counselor, into defensive mode. "Now, Sparatus, the report just provided by your own Turian agent clearly indicated that Shiala was repentant and no longer under the influence of Saren nor the Thorian. Let it be, and let's move this session onto the true reason we contacted the Normandy in the first place." Sparatus grumbled an unwilling acquiescence, so Tevos continued, "Now, we have other...agents... in the field trying to track Saren's movements and have gotten reports from a Salarian Special Tactics Group on the planet Vermire. I believe Counselor Valern prefers to speak on the details of this matter."

As much as he disliked the Salarian counselor, Garrus politely directed his attention to the Salarian, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. Valern started slowly, as if to emphasize every word, "Yeeesss... we've had a team shadowing Geth movements and they ended up on Vermire, in the Hoc system of the Sentry Omega Cluster. Unfortunately, their report transmission was garbled, and we have been unable to reestablish contact." Garrus nodded his head, anticipating where this was leading. "So, you want us to go pull their asses out of the fire and salvage any intel they may have gathered." Valern stood tall and glared at the Turian, speaking more quickly. "They are most capable, and I'm sure this is merely a failure of communications. You are to go and collect the intel and follow any leads the team will undoubtedly provide you!"

Garrus softly chuckled. It was almost too easy to get under the skins of the counselors, especially since Shepard already had them on the defensive, absolutely enjoying any opportunity she got to ...ummm...cause a faulty connection and...hang up on them. They really didn't like that much, and Shepard, as good a person as she normally was, seemed to get a perverse pleasure out of it. Garrus thought that given Shepard's capabilities and the level of respect and loyalty she evoked in her crew, the Council should count themselves lucky if that was her only form of rebellion against them. He looked to the group of three before him, "Is there anything else you need, Counselors, or any additional information you wish me to pass on to Commander Shepard?" The counselors glanced back and forth among themselves and upon receiving confirmatory nods, Counselor Tevos concluded, "No, that will be all. Please have Commander Shepard get in touch with us once you collect the data from Vermire." Her hand then flicked to the holographic panel in front of her, and the counselors vanished from view. As Garrus stepped out of the conference room, he gave a shout, "Joker! New destination. Citadel will have to wait. Point us at Vermire, if you please." After a brief pause, Joker piped over the comm, "Roger that, new course laid in, Garrus." 

* * *

Sam was sure she was dreaming, yet couldn't quite place the what or where she was dreaming about. The bed seemed smaller than hers on the Normandy, and the sheets thicker and heavier somehow. She felt warm and comfortable, snuggled in... and in some way...safe. She hadn't had that sensation since moving onto the Normandy...not yet anyway...especially since her forced move into the Captain's quarters. As she gradually woke, she realized she was not at all dreaming, and with eyes still closed, moved to roll over...and felt resistance. She instantly froze, her eyes popped open, and with a grin her memory flooded her consciousness as she ascertained the reason for the resistance. There was a beautiful Asari stretched out beside her, an arm possessively curled over Samantha's midsection, arresting her movements. A quick glance at her chrono told her seven hours had passed; she marveled at her best night of sleep since the beacon, which she attributed fully to the being beside her. Sam eased her way onto her side, actually moving closer to Liara, and with her free hand, gently cupped Liara's face, her thumb gently caressing a smooth blue cheek. Liara murmured in her sleep, an unintelligible noise, but it made Sam's heart skip a beat as she pondered her amazingly good fortune to have this beautiful creature enter her life.

Continuing her tender administrations to Liara's cheek, Shepard studied every freckle and feature on the face before her; the crystal blue eyes slowly opened and sleepily looked back into Sam's pale greens. A small smile lit Liara's face as she tried to burrow into Sam's chest, mumbling, "not. ready. to be up. yet." Sam laughed quietly, flopped back flat on the bed and let Liara snuggle in, her warm breath feathery across Sam's chest. "We're not going anywhere yet. We have another hour before we're allowed out anyway, so might as well make the most of it." Liara's response was to stretch her hand and arm out, rotating her wrist, flex her fingers, and then pull them back in, hugging Samantha tightly to her. The strength and intimacy of the action incited a pang of want, that Sam quickly subdued. _Too soon, too fast... I won't violate Liara's trust! _

With the most honorable of intentions, Sam tipped her head to the side and kissed the crest on top of Liara's head; Asari have no hair, instead, they possess non-flexible cartilage-based scalp crests that grow into shape. While having worked with a few Asari, Sam had never been this close to these unique structures and started running her fingers over the folds and valleys formed by the crests, fascinated by the way they rose from the neck and base of the scalp and came almost to a point at the back of Liara's head. Sam placed her fingers at the base of Liara's neck and gently traced one of the folds up her neck to the base of her scalp. Unexpectedly, Liara trembled and quietly gasped, "Goddess, Sheppard! Please...don't..." Samantha jerked her hand away like she had been burned. "I'm sorry, Liara! I didn't realize... never seen anything like these before. I find them... fascinating... so different from human hair. Are they sensitive? Does it hurt?" At this, Liara blushed, and Sam was intrigued as to the cause.

"Ummm, yes, and no. It is not painful, but Asari crests are most definitely sensitive. They... _Goddess, how do I explain this?_ ...can be very...uh...stimulating..." At this point, Liara's blush was exquisitely dark, and Shepard could feel the actual physical heat coming off of the Asari's face. "Oh God! I'm sorry! By stimulating, you mean like... sexually? As in arousing?" Liara's groan of embarrassment and her attempt to hide her face was all the confirmation Shepard needed to launch her out of bed and make her retreat halfway across the room. A quick, "uhhh... I'm gonna use the bathroom," and Samantha vanished from sight. The door closed behind her and Shepard leaned into the sink and turned on the cold water, splashing her face. _Jesus, Sam, you really need to do some homework, you ignorant pile of horse shit!_ Sam was staring at herself in the mirror and wondering just how long she could hide before having to go back out into the room, when Liara knocked on the door.

Liara was a bit startled by Samantha's hasty retreat, and unexpectedly mourned the loss of the warm body next to her. _She really didn't know! _As that thought crossed her mind, Liara started to giggle. She slowly stretched and then rose from the bed, sauntered over to the bathroom door and knocked. After grabbing a towel and drying her face, Sam yanked the door open, her face an interesting mix of embarrassment, anguish, and reticence, retreating to lean back against the sink, to create a safe buffer of space. It didn't work, as Liara stepped up to her and wrapped her arms around a reluctant Shepard's shoulders, whispering, "It is ok Samantha, you didn't know..." Sam laughed nervously, "And you thought you were the social misfit! I need to do some research if I want to properly court you! I really am sorry, Liara. I want to respect your wishes, and not push you...I certainly didn't intend to make inadvertent sexual advances on you!"

Accepting Liara's embrace, Samantha returned the hug, wrapping her arms loosely about the Asari and lightly massaging her lower back. Again, Liara groaned, "then you need to... move your hands...Goddess!..." Liara was almost breathless, burying her face into Shepard's neck, trying to finish her sentence, "move up to the center of my back and not... down...there!" Samantha jerked her hands up and planted them firmly at the base of Liara's shoulder blades, her blush now surpassing Liara's. "By the Goddess, Shepard! Are you sure you haven't read a book on Asari physiology? If you are this good by accident, I hate to see what you will be capable of once you really learn what you're doing! I won't be able to think!"

"Geez!" Sam removed her hands from Liara's back and cupped her face, separating their upper bodies enough where they could look into each other's eyes, but still hip to hip. Liara placed her hands on Samantha's arms, hanging from the crook of her elbows, and studied the face before her. It amazed her, how expressive Samantha's eyes were; if Liara could see her eyes, she could read Sam's mood like an open book. Right now, they were a bit cloudy, so Liara was sure she was apprehensive about the string of sexual miscues. Liara was afraid this uncertainty would become a relationship roadblock for Shepard, too worried about doing the wrong thing that she would fail to do anything at all, so Liara performed probably one of the boldest moves in her young adult life. She dropped one hand to Shepard's hip, and the other reached up and brushed some errant strands of hair up behind Samantha's ear. Her hand then traced down Sam's neck, and Liara cupped the back of her head and leaned in for a kiss.

As their lips touched, Liara closed her eyes and whispered, "Samantha, kiss me...please." Samantha groaned, echoing Liara's posture, one hand to a hip, and the other cupping the back of Liara's neck, responding enthusiastically to her request, kissing her deeply, probing, feeling the fire of passion ignite deep in her core. With a ragged, husky voice, Samantha broke the kiss and spoke, "God, Liara, do you have any idea what you do to me?" Leaning her forehead against Shepard's, Liara whimpered, "I'm sure it's the same as you do to me, Samantha Shepard. However little sense it may make, I love you like I have never ever loved another."

Samantha pushed herself up, off the countertop, and placing her hands on Liara's shoulders, physically separated the two bodies. "Liara..." The breathy name hung in the air between them like a promise, full of restrained desire. "I don't...We can't...God, why is it so hard to tell you how I feel? I want you, Liara, more than you can know, but we can't right now... can we?" Liara went to answer, and Samantha quickly raised fingers to her lips, stopping the words before they came. "You don't have to answer that. Rhetorical question. I know how you feel, and I understand we have to put the mission first. Our timing couldn't be worse, but we can't control that, and I have no regrets. I want this to happen, and it will happen, just not now. But rest assured...there will be no one else but you, I give you my word. Nothing has changed, I will wait... for us." Samantha smiled at the Asari, a tender, loving smile that reflected in her now piercingly clear green eyes. Liara took Samantha's hand and tugged her out of the bathroom, walking back toward the center of the room before turning back to her and surrounding her in a hug again, resting her head on Sam's shoulder, whispering into her neck. "Oh, Shepard...I love being near you, close enough to absorb your warmth...and now that I've felt it, I can't give it up...I... I know I will worry about you on every mission, I won't be able to help myself, but it is too late for me to go back now..."

Additional conversation was cut off by a chime from the door. Liara and Shepard separated, grinning sheepishly at each other, both self-consciously straightened their clothing. With one last meaningful glance at Liara, Shepard swept her fingers through her hair and turned to the door, saying one word. "Come." The door opened to reveal Karin Chakwas. Shepard glanced at her wrist, amazed that her chrono indicated their remaining hour had come and gone. When had that happened? _Time flies when you're having fun!_ "Morning, Doc!" said a smiling Shepard.

"Commander...Liara...You're both looking rather chipper, especially compared to last time I saw you. How are we feeling this morning?" Samantha looked at Liara, who did nothing but acquire a light blush, so Sam rolled her eyes and looked back at the doc. "We're doing good, Karin. I had the best night's sleep since the incident with the beacon, and I believe..." Sam glanced sideways at Liara, "Dr T'Soni was very comfortable here and also slept restfully. No reports written, no research attempted before bed, no nightmares to interrupt...a solid seven hours before either of us stirred."

Karin noted Liara's discomfort before responding, "Very good, though seven hours, given your workload, is still not sufficient, especially with your backlog and level of sleep deprivation." Her eyes picked up an almost predatory twinkle, smiling as she seemed to think aloud, "Perhaps I need to prescribe a similar treatment, every night for the next week. or at least until I see a marked improvement?" A brief flash of panic crossed Liara's face before she blurted out, "Karin! I cannot sleep here every night! I... I have my work, my research...and Goddess, what would the rest of the crew think?" Samantha, having caught the teasing tone in Karin's voice, laughed at Liara's outburst, but receiving a lancing glare from Liara, quickly followed up, "Karin, you should know better than that! You know Liara still has a hard time picking up on our humor. It's not very kind of you to tease her so..." At this, Liara's face turned a wonderful shade of purple and her hand came up to pinch the bridge of her nose as she bowed her head. "By the Goddess, I do not think I will ever catch on to human joking. You all seem to do it at the most inappropriate times!" Karin chuckled, "I suppose you are correct, Commander, though I don't often see you refraining when the opportunity presents itself!" Shepard beamed, and reaching around Liara's waist, pulled her tight against her side, "Stick with me, kid, and you'll have it down in no time...either that or you'll quickly die of embarrassment!" Liara stiffened at the pseudo-hug, but seeing the smiles on both Karin and Samantha, just surrendered to her unease with the brash display of intimacy without further comment, relaxing slightly and leaning into Shepard for support.

Karin admired the duo, surprised at how much could change in just 12 hours time. The shift in demeanor for both of them, from when Shepard stormed back aboard the Normandy, to the seemingly contented, albeit reserved, couple in front of her now, was positively amazing. They both still looked a tad bit tired, but with what still loomed in the Normandy's future, she didn't really expect that to change too much, though she could hope. She would monitor them both a bit closer from this point forward and do her damned best to insure they ate right and got as much sleep as was possible under the circumstances. "Right then. All things considered, I guess I have to let you return to duty...Commander, I believe Garrus needs to see you, and neither of you can be skipping meals, so be sure you both eat in the next hour, before we arrive at Vermire." Liara felt a quick stab of tension, and Samantha released her waist and stepped away, creating distance. Commander Shepard's head snapped up. "Vermire?" "Yes, Commander. Go talk to Garrus... and don't forget breakfast!" Karin pointedly looked at each of them to reinforce their need to eat, then retreated from the room to head back to the med bay.

Sam started walking and talking at the same time, going to her closet and grabbing a fresh uniform to put on. "Sorry, Liara, I was looking forward to having breakfast with you but..." Liara finished the sentence, "...duty calls. I know. I'll see you soon, Shepard." Liara flashed a smile and quickly left the room; she did not notice the look on Kaidan's face as he watched Liara cross the mess hall from the Commander's room to her little space behind the med bay. Kaidan put his dishes on the counter and walked directly to the Commander's door, tapping the panel for entry.

Sam grimaced after Liara left. She had gotten so caught up in events, she hadn't cleaned her armor from the day before, and it was still piled in the corner. She sighed, picked it up, and got to work cleaning it up and doing necessary spot repairs. She had just sat down when the door chimed. She shouted, "Come!" and with a smile glanced over her shoulder as she started speaking. "What's up, Liara, forget..." Her words died as she realized it was Kaidan standing in her doorway, not Liara. "Whatcha need, Kaidan?" She could see something was not going well for the Lieutenant; he had a habit of wearing all his emotions on his face. _I guess he's too inexperienced yet to know how to school his expressions. _"Well, come on in, you obviously have something on your mind. We'll chat while I prep my armor."

Kaidan approached slowly and stood at parade rest, his feet separated and his hands clasped behind his back as he started to speak. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?" Sam narrowed her eyes, wondering what this was all about. "Absolutely, LT. You know I value your input on ship ops. What's going on?"

Kaidan scowled. "I'm here to ask you that very question! What are you doing? Did Doctor T'Soni spend the night with you?"

Samantha raised her eyebrows, slightly taken aback by the hostility in Kaidan's voice, and responded, speaking slowly. "Yes... Under order of Dr Chakwas..."

Kaidan grumped. "Please! You expect me to believe the Doctor ordered her to sleep with you?"

Samantha dropped her armor and stood up, taking a step up to Kaidan, her eyes flashing in anger. "I resent the implications of that statement, Alenko. Number one, what purpose would there be in my lying to you? Number two, Dr T'Soni is not some Asari entertainer on board for sexual pleasure, and I can't believe you would think I would sleep with someone just for that purpose, not to mention the fact it also assumes Dr T'Soni would agree to it! And number three, even if I was that type of person, I didn't realize I would need your permission to do so!" She continued, giving Kaidan no chance to respond. "The good Doctor ordered we spend the night in the same room; the reasons for which I am not inclined to share with you at the moment. Does that meet with your approval, Lieutenant? What's the problem? Am I infringing on something? You have intentions on the Asari, Lieutenant?" Kaidan opened his mouth, and then closed it again, saying nothing, his neck and face growing more red by the moment. The commander barked out a hard laugh, the sound lacking any hint of humor. "Come on, Lieutenant. I gave you permission to speak freely. Let's hear it!" At that, Samantha stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Kaidan, waiting for his response.

Kaidan visibly gulped, then took a deep breath before responding, "Sorry, Commander. I guess I didn't think it through. I was just surprised to see Dr T'Soni leaving your quarters so early this morning, and if I saw it, I'm sure lots more of the crew did as well..."

Samantha didn't buy it. "Oh, that's bullshit, Alenko, and you know it! The look on your face when you came in the door? You have a personal stake in this somewhere. Don't use 'crew morale' as a shield. Give me a break. You interested in Liara?" She stared at him, making it very obvious she was awaiting a response.

Kaidan stammered, but managed an answer. "No...Uhmmm... No, I am not interested in Liara... I...uhmm...oh, hell. I'm actually interested in you, but I know with us both being Alliance, it's not possible. And now, if you know... I know I should transfer to another ship and not be under your command... then ... maybe...?"

Sam was shocked, and not quite sure what to say. She sat back down and glanced at her armor before responding. "Well, shit, Alenko. I appreciate the compliment, but us being Alliance doesn't matter one way or the other." She saw the crestfallen look run rampant across Kaidan's face, and she continued, "Kaidan, it's not you. I know that's one of the oldest put-downs in the book, but it's the truth. Kaidan, you're just not my type. I'm a lesbian. You're a great guy, and I respect you and like you a lot, but... guys just aren't my thing." Kaidan shuffled his feet, looking undecided as to whether he would continue the conversation or bolt from the room.

Sam wanted to make sure Kaidan understood something else before he escaped. "Listen. To address the elephant in the room, yes, I do have feelings for Dr T'Soni, and they are mutual. I figured most people had that figured out by now, and I'm sorry if you didn't and it's caused...this. But to make things perfectly clear, nothing happened last night. It really was medical necessity, and Dr Chakwas did pretty much issue us an ultimatum. You saw Liara leaving, did you not also see Dr Chakwas going in and out checking on us? Chakwas was here last night, and again early this morning. I'm sorry. I wish this wasn't so awkward. I need you, Kaidan. You're an excellent officer. No hard feelings?"

Kaidan hung his head, contemplating for a moment before he stood up and squared his shoulders. "Yes, ma'am. Understood. You won't hear another word about it from me."

"Good. Now get outta here. I've got to get this finished and get up to the CIC to see Garrus..." Sam hesitated for just a minute before continuing. "And Kaidan? Chin up. You're good ... The Alliance needs more like you." Kaidan just nodded and left the room.


	10. A Plea for Help

Shepard strode purposefully onto the command deck and found Garrus standing at the navigation display, checking their progress toward Vermire. "Morning, Vakarian! Doc Chakwas told me to come talk to you...seems we have a change of destination?" Garrus chuckled, "Hey, Shepard. So, you taking orders from the good Doctor now? Oh, how the mighty have fallen!" The commander gave the Turian a sidelong glance and grinned, "You obviously have not had the pleasure of working with Dr Karin Chakwas once she's been pushed past the point of shipmate camaraderie. Not someone you want to cross once she is in full professional Doctor mode. Before you can blink, she'll have you in a full body cast and totally at her whim! Anyway... Vermire?"

"Yeah, the Council called while you were sleeping...sorry you missed the opportunity to hang up on them, but someone on this ship has to play the politics game once in a while so they don't totally hate us!" Shepard was in too good of a mood to be baited, so just grunted and waited expectantly for him to continue. Garrus complied, and filled her in on how they were... _surprise, surprise..._ a bit peeved at the Feros report and the destruction of the Thorian, and how they had absolutely no helpful information on the Normandy's next task, other than the location of the planet Vermire. "Not surprising...they have yet to provide us with anything other than a location and a totally unenlightened intel summary. Why start now?"

Samantha paused, and turned to face her crewmember. "Hey, Garrus...I know we didn't have a lot of choice given the circumstances, but thanks for stepping up and...taking care of things while I was down. Nice to know someone on this boat can make a decision and go with it, without second guessing and having to check with me first." Garrus shrugged, looked like he was going to ignore the comment, then thought better of it. "No problem, Shepard. It's in my blood; Turians are raised that way, duty first, victory at any cost. We wouldn't know how to do anything else but step up to the challenge." His mandibles twitched. "Besides, you're not the only one who's afraid of Dr Chakwas!" The two comrades laughed, and Samantha swung back into commander mode. "Alright, we're close, so guess we gotta hit it. You head back down and make sure the Mako is prepped to go dirt side. Since we don't know what's coming yet, let everyone know to be ready and I'll pick the ground team once we know better what we're facing. I've got to grab some chow, or the Doc will have my head."

* * *

Samantha grabbed some breakfast, then headed for the armory to load up her weapons. She was just finishing when Flight Lt Moreau piped on the comm. "Commander. We're here, and you're not going to like it." A frown creased Shepard's face, "What have we got, Joker?"

Joker's voice had no humor when he responded, "I've found the STG base of operations, but communications are being jammed, I can't reach them. To make things more interesting, there is a full battery of AA guns active and we can't even get close. You're going to have to drop in the Mako and take at least two down for us to have a clear flight path."

"Roger that, Flight Lieutenant. A full battery says there's something worth protecting. Whatever it is, we need to find it. Any indication of what's on the ground? Geth? Krogan?..." Samantha hesitated before the next question, and her face became hard as ice. "Saren?"

"Negative, Commander. A lot of jamming, probably the same as what's blocking the STG signal, but whatever's down there I'm sure it's not going to be pretty..."

Commander Shepard turned to the ground crew. "Tali, Garrus, with me...Alenko, have a second squad ready, you, Wrex and Ashley, in case we need back up. Let's load up!" Returning her attention to the comm, Shepard tapped Joker. "Moreau, find us a landing zone and map the route to everyone's omnitools... let's get this done!" As the crew started to move, Sam saw Liara drop her head. Unsure if it was from disappointment for not being on the mission, or plain concern for Samantha's safety, the commander offered what little public consolation she can. "Hey, T'Soni." Liara's head came up and cloudy blues met intense, focused greens. "See you dirt side!" Sam flashed her best reassuring smile, and climbed in the Mako.

As they approached the landing zone, the commander activated the external cameras and took in the view. While Vermire had a lot of ocean covering the surface, a wide equatorial band was covered with lush, tropical forest. The planet was beautiful, but Sam fervently hoped they could use the waterways for navigation, and not have to penetrate that heavy jungle. Getting in would most likely be easy, but a fast extraction, should they need it, could prove difficult. Their designated landing zone was a hopefully shallow coastal waterway; the site was selected using early colonial surveys, and Sam kept her fingers crossed the data was correct. As they roared in, Sam was taken aback by the lush green canopy and beautiful beaches; the quickly climbing rock edges of the channel became more prominent as they got closer to the ground and Sam realized they would be restricted to the channel once they got there, because there were no soft slopes to where they could even think about climbing out of the waterway. She was still enjoying the scenery and contemplating if they had made the right decision when she realized how close to the ground they were.

Shepard flared the Mako's thrusters late, and splashed down into the channel none too gently, causing Tali to cuss and Garrus to grunt. "You ever going to actually learn how to drive this thing, Commander?" Sam laughed, "What's the matter, Vakarian, can't handle a little chop?" Garrus retorted, "Chop yes...hitting the ground so hard you degrade the barriers before we ever even see battle? Different story." Shepard grinned and hit the gas, starting up the very shallow channel toward the first AA tower, not bothering to tell them the true reason for their hard landing. As they came around the first corner, Tali yelled out, "Rockets incoming! One o'clock!" Shepard slammed the Mako into reverse and backed out of the path, the rockets ripping past the front of the vehicle and impacting on rocks off to the side. She then jumped back into forward and bobbed and weaved her way up the channel, Garrus doing his best to target and destroy anything he saw; scary as it was, he thought maybe he was actually starting to get used to her driving and was doing much better at aiming the big gun. They were progressing fairly well, when suddenly a Geth Juggernaut loomed out from behind a rock, way too close to the Mako for Garrus to have time to swivel the cannon. Shepard reacted without thinking, slamming the accelerator to the floor, the Mako surging forward, ramming the Geth and running it over, then slamming the Mako into reverse and backing over it, crushing the Geth's 'head' under the wheels of the Mako. The unexpected rapid changes of direction sent Tali tumbling. "Shepard! You Bosh'tet! A little warning too much to ask?" Shepard gleefully smiled, "Sorry, Tali! No time to do much of anything, it popped out too quick. Did you see it's little eyebrow things pop up when it realized what I was doing?" Though she couldn't see Tali's face through her suit mask, Shepard knew she was getting glared at when Tali provided no verbal response. Still grinning, Shepard shrugged, and they continued on up the channel, repeating the same tactics until they approached the first AA gun and accompanying gate house.

The Mako ground to a halt behind some rocks and the team dismounted. Garrus took up position and returned fire at some Geth snipers, while Tali hacked an airborne drone. It took a bit of patience, but eventually the team wore down the defenses and managed to approach the gate house. At the top of the entry ramp, the team encountered a couple of Geth Troopers and a Destroyer, causing Shepard to curse. "Damn it! Tali, sabotage that Destroyer, or we're meat! Garrus, plunk that thing best you can until we can take it's shield down!" Shepard launched a biotic throw to delay the Destroyer's charge, while blasting away at the Troopers with the aid of the hacked drone. The Troopers actually went down relatively quickly, but just as Shepard returned her focus to the Destroyer, it charged their position. Garrus dove out to the side, rolling out of its path, and cussed as he planted to get the Geth back in his sights, realizing Shepard now stood, unprotected, directly in its path. Shepard's world went into slow motion as she called her biotics. Rolling onto her back to buy precious milliseconds, she tossed a lift as the Geth was upon her, the combination of the Destroyer's own forward momentum and her lift sending it careening over her head into the wall behind her. Tali had been frantically working her omnitool and managed to overload the Geth as it momentarily lay stunned, stripping its shields. A couple of well placed sniper shots finished it off for good. Shepard pulled her knees to her chest and, even in full armor, performed a kip-up, landing on her feet. Tali watched her in amazement, "Keelah, Shepard! How do you do that?" Shepard furrowed her brow and simply asked, "Do what?" Receiving no answer other than a shake of Tali's head, she shrugged her shoulders and walked into the gatehouse. "Ok, Tali, you're up. Figure out how to shut that thing down, and get that gate open so we can move." It wasn't long before her radio chirped in her ear. Joker. "One down, one to go. Nice work, Commander." Shepard patted the little Quarian on the shoulder as they climbed back in the Mako and proceeded on their way.

* * *

Shepard thought fondly of the little Quarian; Tali was like the younger sister she never had. When they first brought her on the Normandy, she was incredibly shy. She found a comfortable spot for herself down on the engineering deck, absolutely fascinated by the Normandy's engines. Engineer Adams was thrilled to death to have her down there, stating her engineering skills far surpassed anyone on the crew. Tali had bared her soul to Shepard, imparting to her the importance of the Quarian Pilgrimage, the need of every young Quarian to go out into the galaxy and bring something of worth back to the Fleet. She placed complete trust in Shepard and the Normandy mission to provided her the thing she needed that would allow her to return to the Fleet, head held high. Tali's father was a member of the Admiralty Board, the governing body for the Quarian people, so expectations were high. Shepard remembered chuckling at that; if saving the Galaxy from Saren and his Geth army wasn't enough to impress them, then nothing ever would.

What Shepard appreciated the most was Tali's bright personality. Her voice always held a smile, she seemed honestly happy to be with them, and almost always provided stimulating, honest, conversation. There was not really much known about the Quarians, other than they were a migrant race, frequently compared to the Gypsies of old Earth with trust lacking just as much. They were called suit rats, because their weak immunity forced them to constantly live in an envirosuit. It didn't help that most had darkened faceplates, so it was hard to tell what the Quarian people actually looked like, much less see their faces and read their expressions. They had no home planet to call their own, and people tended to mistrust such a transient people who always hid behind a mask. Shepard found the stereotype to be completely false; Tali had never given her any reason to doubt her honesty or loyalty, and considered her a fine addition to the crew with her engineering and tech skills.

Between the conversations with Shepard and the encouragement of Engineer Adams, Tali eventually got enough courage to start talking with other crew members. She developed stronger friendships with the other ground crew members especially, and now Tali could frequently be seen on the mess deck and wandering the armory engaging them on a daily basis. She was certainly better at socializing than Liara was. Shepard attributed that to the social Quarian environment, versus growing up as a Matriarch's sole heir. Tali had really emerged from her shell during her time on the Normandy; Liara could take lessons from the seemingly eccentric little Quarian.

* * *

Further down the path, past a few Troopers and Rocket Troopers, along with an occasional drone, they rolled around a corner and ran up against a Colossus. Garrus fired the cannon as Shepard slammed into reverse and backed behind the cliff shielding the turn. She then went forward, in spurts, pausing intermittently with a warning to Garrus to let him know how to best time his shots. The Colossus stood relatively still, making it easy for Garrus to keep the cannon on target, and Shepard's surge and stop tactics were timed simply to dodge anything the Geth shot their way. A number of well placed cannon shots and the Colossus was down, with hardly any damage to the Mako's shields. Repeating the same tactics, they moved slowly and methodically, until they finally approached the second and final gatehouse. This foray outside the Mako was very similar to the first, but now they also ran into the little hopping sniper units, Fast and hard to target, Shepard just shrugged and tossed a singularity out into their paths... As they tried to hop through, the singularity snatched them up and Garrus made quick work of them. Tali jumped on the terminals inside and quickly had the gate open; the last AA gun blocking their path to the STG base was down shortly after. As they exited the building to return to the Mako, the Normandy flew low and slow over their head, in transit to the forward operating base. "Thanks, Commander! See you at the landing zone!" Shepard was surprised the cocky pilot didn't try to waggle the wings as he flew over.

Driving the Mako up to the camp, Shepard saw the Normandy had already lowered the loading ramp and disembarked all the ground crew members. Kaidan and Ashley were speaking with a Salarian captain, so the commander went in that direction once out of the Mako. As she walked up, the Salarian welcomed her. "Commander Shepard, Capt Kirrahe, 3rd Infiltration Regiment, Special Tactics Group. It's a pleasure. I assume you are the lead unit for the reinforcements we requested?" Shepard shakes her head. "Afraid not, Captain. Your message was garbled, so we were sent to investigate." Kirrahe was evidently displeased. "You've got to be kidding. That is a duplication of our assignment, and gains us nothing. I've lost half my men 'investigating' this place. Turns out to be a major base of operations for Saren, heavily fortified and guarded by a full legion of Geth." Shepard stared at Kirrahe for a moment before repeating what she just heard. "A full legion? What the hell is Saren protecting?" Kirrahe responded in a deadly serious tone. "Apparently, Saren has found a way to defeat the Genophage and is breeding a Krogan army. It must be destroyed." Wrex overheard the conversation and angrily stepped in, "What? He's developed a cure? No way in hell you're destroying that! That cure can save my people!" Kirrahe refused to back down from his assessment, stating the galaxy must learn from the past...when the Krogan were uplifted to defeat the Rachni, it lead to the Krogan rebellions, a mistake that must not be repeated. Wrex roared at Kirrahe, "We are not a mistake!" before glancing angrily at Shepard and stalking away up the shoreline. Kirrahe looked worriedly at Shepard. "Is he going to be a problem? We have enough problems with Saren's forces, without adding a rampaging Battlemaster to the list." Samantha eyes Wrex warily, watching him pull out his shotgun and start to shoot at fish. "Don't worry about it Captain. You figure out a plan to get done what needs to be done, and I'll take care of Wrex. My crew, my responsibility."

As Shepard turned to go talk to Wrex, she was intercepted by an anxious Kaidan and Ashley. Ash pipes in quickly, "Commander, I'm worried about Wrex... I mean, look at him! He's really pissed off." Before Shepard can say anything, Kaidan angrily retorts, "You'd be pissed off too, if you saw a way to save all of humanity and someone said they wanted it destroyed!" Shepard watched the two briefly, as they discussed Wrex's behavior, until finally cutting them off. "Enough! I'm going to talk to Wrex, see what we can do. I'd be angry too, but now is not the time. We have a mission that needs doing, and we're going to do it. Hopefully Wrex can see past this..." Ashley started to interrupt, but Shepard cut her off. "I said enough. I'll handle it. Just be ready if things go sideways." She gave them both a meaningful look and headed across the sand toward the sound of a bellowing shotgun. Before following a few paces behind the commander, Ashley whispered under her breath, "I'm always ready."

As the commander neared, Wrex wheeled on her. "This isn't right, Shepard! You gotta help me out here!" He did not look in least bit pleased by the unexpected developments. Shepard knew she had to figure out a way to talk him down...she wasn't really sure she could take Wrex in a head-to-head fight. As capable as the commander was, Krogans, in general, were definitely tough, and Wrex was at, or near, the top of the Krogan food chain. Take a seven foot, two thousand pound reptilian biped with naturally thick hide and add armor, a hell of an arsenal, biotics and hundreds of years of battle experience; Samantha did not want to get on his bad side. It wasn't just that Wrex would be a tough opponent, but also that he made one hell of an ally, and Sam considered him her friend. Their multiple talks in the armory had established a common ground, a love of the fight that was framed by a solid warrior's code of ethics and a mutual respect most of the crew had found surprising; a Krogan Battlemaster and a relatively 'puny, squishy human,' as Wrex called her, made a strange pair.

All things considered, the crew thought she was nuts when Shepard stepped up and looked Wrex square in the face. "I know this is tough, Wrex, but hear me out. A Krogan army. I know you guys are tough sons of bitches. We can't let Saren have that tool. You saw the Thorian...these things won't be Krogan! You know Saren wouldn't do this without some way to control them! They'll be nothing but Saren's puppets! I can't believe that's what you really want for the future of your people, Wrex." Wrex was still fuming, but stowed his shotgun while he spoke. "You've got a quad human, coming over here without even a weapon drawn. If it was anybody else but you, Shepard, you'd already be dead." Shepard nodded in understanding. "I know that, Wrex. And you know me. If there was any way I could see around this I'd take it. I don't take the easy way, I take the right one. I wouldn't ask this of you otherwise. You help me now, I promise I'll do what I can to help you find a real cure for your people when this is all done. I believe your people have suffered enough." Wrex grunted in agreement. "Fine. The Krogan have been puppets for too long. Saren is going to pay for what he's done..." Wrex's eyes bore into Shepard..."and I'm going to hold you to that promise." Shepard kept eye contact with Wrex for a few moments, then nodded in silent accord before turning away and returning the way she came.

Ash was surprised...and greatly relieved. "Never thought you'd actually talk him down, Commander. Never knew you to be a politician." Shepard responded with a pained look on her face. "Ash! You wound me! Comparing me to suit drivel? I'm insulted! Negotiator, yes. Politician? Please!" That got a good chuckle from everyone and the tension eased considerably. Shepard looked around a bit, talked to the various crew members wandering around, saving Liara for last. As she approached, Liara looked up, her eyes troubled. "I was starting to wonder if you were avoiding me for some reason." Shepard stepped in close, but did not touch her, maintaining a strict personal discipline to keep a solid hold on her emotions. "Not a chance, T'Soni. Just saving the best for last. You doing OK?" Liara smiled bashfully, and her eyes dropped to the ground, contemplating what the commander had said. "I am fine, Shepard." Liara looked back up, her eyes now bright, more determined. She continued, "Especially now...I am ready to face whatever we need to. I am with you to the end, Commander." Samantha nodded, hesitating just a moment before turning away, then speaking back over her shoulder as she went. "Good, because you're on my ground team. Get your stuff." Liara's jaw dropped for a moment before she snapped it closed. _You got what you wished, T'Soni. Now be sure to make good on it!_ She went to collect her gear.

"Kirrahe, got a plan yet?" Shepard spoke as she entered the temporary command tent. "Affirmative, Commander. Though it is risky and will require a bit of luck to accomplish." Shepard signaled for him to continue. "We will disable our ship's drive core and use it as a bomb. Placed in the correct location, it will destroy the entire breeding facility." Pointing to a map, Kirrahe indicates a small courtyard in the center of the compound. "We can use the Normandy to deliver it to the site, but unfortunately, that means we have to disable this AA tower and penetrate all the way to the center in order to place it properly to ensure destruction." Shepard looks warily at the map, rubbing at the tension in her neck. "Getting in that deep could be a problem. What's the plan?" Using the map as a guide, he explained. "Three teams, one to go through here and take down the AA gun. The other two will commit to a two-prong attack on the front of the facility. We don't have a chance, but we don't really need one. The frontal assault is a diversion, and just needs to hold long enough for my team to take down the gun, and your shadow team to sneak in through these warehouses and take control of the central courtyard. Once we secure the two objectives, the Normandy can deliver the nuke. We set it, start the timer, and bug out. Hopefully we can reach escape distance in time. We will need four minutes, we will set the timer for five. Little room for error. The bomb will also have a failsafe; anyone attempts to tamper with the arming trigger, the device will detonate immediately."

Shepard drew a long slow breath, staring at the map. "Ok, you're right, risky. I see us taking a slightly longer route, here. It will take us by the comm center, satellite uplink station, and the drone refueling center. If we can take those down, I think it will ease pressure on the front and you might come away with a few more men. Won't add much travel time for us, and it will put a huge kink in the overall Geth game plan. Another thing; I don't like the failsafe. Won't do us any good to destroy the breading facility if we all die, but don't kill Saren. Too risky for the big picture. Everything else looks good to me." Kirrahe considered the changes. "Agreed, Commander. Excellent recommendations. Nice to work with someone with a good grasp of strategy, as well as battlefield tactics. One more thing; to ensure we have both objectives met before we call the Normandy in, I would like to have one of your personnel on my AA gun team, to ensure good communications between us." Shepard was considering the request when she heard Kaidan behind her. "It's a solid recommendation, Commander. I volunteer." The suggestion was immediately vetoed by Ashley. "No way, LT. Commander needs you on the nuke! I'll take the AA team." Shepard spun around on both of them. "Enough. What is it with you two? You sound like an old married couple! It's not your call, so shut it." She glared at them both one last time before turning back to Kirrahe. "Captain, you have a preference?" Kirrahe responded quickly. "They are your team, Commander. I don't believe you would have anyone here who was not capable. Your choice. I will accept either one." She briefly considered her options. "Chief Williams is right. I need Alenko on the Normandy to arm the nuke. Kirrahe, you get the Chief. The rest of my team is with me on Shadow."

Shepard rounded up the entire team, notifying Garrus, Tali, Wrex, and Liara they were on Team Shadow, showing them the map and their objectives. She then focused on Kaidan and Ashley. "Heads in the game people. Eyes up, guns forward...don't do anything stupid, and we'll see you on the other side." With that, she turned to the Captain. "Kirrahe. Ready when you are."


	11. Into the Valley of Death

**Note: Just want to shout out to all the folks who have taken time to read and review. The inputs and critiques are great-I really do appreciate the assist! Hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

* * *

The teams split into their groups and headed out to their respective assignments. As Shepard's team approached the first intersection, she radioed Kirrahe, "Team Shadow is in play, about to make first contact." Samantha laid out the tactical plan for the squad, her and Wrex on point, Liara and Tali middle support, and Garrus as sniper and rear guard. When they heard the first explosion signaling the start of the frontal assault, they began to move through the first intersection and saw their first two Geth Troopers. Shepard immediately grabbed one in a lift, which Wrex detonated with a warp; the resultant explosion knocked the other Trooper to the side. Liara subsequently grabbed it in a lift, and Garrus finished it with a couple well placed shots. Shepard signaled to continue, and they closed the distance to the first target, the communications tower. Garrus sighted through his sniper scope and whispered on the comm, "We've got one normal and one Shock Trooper lower level, a Shock Trooper and Destroyer up on the platform... Hold on!" Garrus' rifle barked once. "And scratch one sniper. Clear to move forward, Shepard."

The group pressed onward, Tali hacking the Trooper on the lower level, providing distraction as it turned and started firing on the neighboring Shock Troop. The two Geth on the upper platform started down the ramp as Wrex charged forward to engage, leading with a warp to the Shock Troop. Shepard called out in sharp staccato commands, "T'Soni. Destroyer. Warp!" Shepard followed suit, and combined with the double warp, an overload attack from Tali dropped the Destroyer's shield, allowing Garrus to pepper it with sniper shots. Shepard ran forward to join Wrex, finishing off the standard Trooper with a close range shotgun blast, as Wrex did the same to the lower level Shock Troop. Wrex turned to the weakened Destroyer coming down the ramp, and Shepard called on her biotics one more time to charge the second Shock Trooper, also descending the ramp. "T'Soni. Singularity. Shock Troop!" The second Shepard saw the singularity coalesce around the Shock Trooper, she yelled, "Wrex! Incoming!" and turned into a blue bolt of pure power, charging into the Shock Troop, detonating the singularity, killing the Shock Troop and tossing the Destroyer off the ramp, sending it plummeting to a heap on the ground. Wrex turned and looked at her, "Shepard, I really wish you wouldn't do that." "What, Wrex? Charge in and steal your kill at the last minute? Thought you'd like it...I'm just fighting like a Krogan!" Wrex shook his head in bewilderment. "I know! That's the problem! You squishy humans aren't built for that!" Shepard flashed a big lopsided grin, "Wrex, just face it. I'm not gonna let you have all the fun. Now, let's get this tower off-line!" The team proceeded up the ramp and located the control console. "Tali, you're up again. Kill that thing." The little Quarian stepped up. "Keelah, Shepard! Give me something challenging, would you?" She overloaded the console in no time. "Ready!" she chirped. It didn't matter that Tali's face was hidden behind a mask; Shepard could hear the satisfied smile in her voice.

Clearing the communications tower, Shepard knew they just helped everyone involved by disrupting Geth communications. _They should be less able to coordinate counter attacks now. _"Alright folks, let's kill their comms completely by taking out the satellite uplink... move out!" Dropping back into their fighting formation, they continued up the path. Suddenly, two assault drones zipped around the corner and opened fire at close range, immediately dropping Shepard's barrier. As she dived for cover, a protective Liara launched a singularity into their midst. While Wrex had initially started blasting away with his shotgun, the moment he saw Liara's attack, he launched a warp and detonated the singularity, tossing both drones away with the force of the explosion. One drone careened into the rock face of the cliff, destroying it, and the other was pushed off the path to the side, dropping its shield. The sharp bark of a sniper rifle was immediately followed by the drone dropping out of the sky like a rock. Just then, a Trooper stepped into view and started firing at Wrex. As a solo target, it didn't stand a chance, and it literally disintegrated under the barrage of the entire team. Shepard actually laughed, "Well, that was a bit of overkill!" The team quickly resumed their forward progress.

A bit farther on, Garrus scoped the next target from afar. They would have to cross a large open space to reach the satellite uplink, without any cover to speak of, but Garrus' report was good. "I only see a Shock Trooper and a single Krogan warrior, Shepard." Shepard quickly responded. "Alright, piece of cake. They must be sending reinforcements to the frontal assault. That's going to make things tough for them up there, but easy on us. Tali, overload the Trooper's shield. Garrus, the minute it drops, take a shot, and I'll finish with a charge. Wrex the warrior is yours, everyone left unemployed move forward and assist Wrex with the Krogan. Go!" Tali had started working on the overload as soon as Shepard called it out, and by the time the plan was laid out, she was ready. On Shepard's 'Go' call, she triggered the overload and the attack began. Less than a minute later, they were all standing on the ramp of the satellite tower. Shepard simply walked up the ramp and blasted the uplink with her submachine gun. Objective two complete. Shepard did a team check; they had been using a lot of biotic energy, so to ensure no one drained themselves, she had everyone slam down an energy drink just to be safe.

The team was on the move again, this time toward the refueling platform. Feeling uneasy at their pace, Shepard moved the team along a bit quicker now, jogging on long, open straight-aways, only slowing down to peek around corners. The diversionary forces could only last so long, and every second Shadow delayed meant more Salarians were sacrificing their lives; it weighed heavy on her soul. Looking around one more corner, she saw a ramp ahead. On the upper platform stood a Destroyer and a Rocket Trooper. The rockets would make a slow approach difficult. "Liara, Garrus, front and center. Got a Rocket Trooper you need to take down." Shepard pointed to a large section of rock. "Wrex and I will move forward to that rock for cover, tossing warps as we go. Our movement should draw fire. The minute that thing exposes itself, blast it. While we do that, Tali, I need you to start working on overloading that Destroyer." Getting affirmative nods from the team, Shepard smiled at Wrex, "Let's go big man, we're up!" Receiving a grin in return, the two blasted out of cover. Wrex launched an initial warp as soon as he broke into the open, while Shepard waited three paces before launching one of her own. As she ducked in behind the rocks, Wrex had already pulled up a barrier and was on the move again toward the Destroyer. Liara had lifted the Rocket Trooper, and the bark of a sniper indicated the helpless Trooper was not long for this world, unable to launch rockets nor defend itself. Tali targeted the Destroyer with the overload, and once its shield dropped, the fight was finished quickly.

They continued down the path toward the refueling station, turned a corner, and were immediately besieged by no less than five drones, at least two of which were rocket drones. As the first impacts struck, Shepard was tossed back, her barrier dropping. She grunted in pain as she felt a barrage of fire from an assault drone penetrate her armor. Her attempt to roll away from the assault was halted by a blue hand pinning her to the ground, while Liara erected a barrier between them and the drones. "I've got you covered, Shepard. Get that bleeding stopped." If Samantha hadn't been in pain, she may have laughed; the tone of the normally shy, unassuming archeologist brokered no argument and Sam liked watching Liara come into her own. She popped one side of her armor so she could reach underneath to the penetrations in her side, gritting her teeth as she silently poked medigel into the holes. In the meantime, Tali had hacked one of the assault drones and it turned on its partners, finishing off a rocket drone that Wrex had warped and blasted with his shotgun. Garrus stayed back, leaning around the corner, his sniper barking as fast as he could reload and find targets, and one of the assault drones fell, its shield finally breached. Samantha resealed her armor and brought her barrier back up, the medigel already easing her pain. She flashed a grateful smile, "Thanks, Blue. Let's get back to it." With a quick nod, Liara launched a singularity into the mix and pressed back into the fight. Surprise no longer on their side, the drones quickly fell to a deadly team back in its normal battle rhythm with the return of Shepard and T'Soni. The team snuck around one last corner, and launched simultaneous attacks, causing the refueling center to explode, eliminating any potential defenses along with it. Feeling the press of time, Shepard quickly pushed the team forward.

The team could see the facility ahead, but a long bridge separated them from the target, with two snipers and two Krogan warriors waiting on the distant end. The hardest part about the assault was the multiple shields and barriers, preventing Shadow from attacking the forces directly. It took a lot of time, because there were just too many places for the enemy to hide. Even the Krogan warriors were not charging across the bridge, staying out of reach across the long open divide. Wrex finally got frustrated and charged across; throwing a warp and blasting away with his shotgun. Shepard yelled, "Shit! Cover us best you can!" and followed along behind in Wrex's wake. The brazen attack did have its benefits. One of the Krogan warriors answered the charge, and as soon as he was in the open, Liara lifted him in the air. Wrex saw the opening and blasted away with a warp, causing a biotic detonation that threw the Krogan from the bridge. Wrex hooked a right turn off the bridge and prepared to charge the remaining Krogan warrior, who had stepped into the open to engage Wrex. As soon as that happened, Garrus had a target and his sniper rifle started to bark. Figuring the Krogan was covered, Shepard ducked behind one of the barriers near the far end of the bridge. She leaned around and warped the closest sniper, knocking its shields down, then continued to chip away at it with her shotgun. Liara reached across the chasm and placed a singularity next to it, which Shepard promptly detonated with a warp. Wrex came charging in, obviously done with the last Krogan, and the last sniper quickly fell, leaving the facility open for entrance.

Walking to the doorway, Tali opened a terminal. "Shepard, this is the security system! We have a couple of options..." Her fingers continued to fly across the keyboard, so Shepard waited for her to continue. "I can simply disable the system, or create false alarms across the base from us." She looked to Shepard, who responded with a question. "Ok, where across the base are we talking?" "The other system is near the front entrance. It would probably call additional reserves against the frontal assault." To Shepard, that was the deciding factor. "The frontal assault already has to contend with the bulk of forces. We haven't hit anything we couldn't handle yet, so just disable what you can. We'll handle the forces inside on our own." Tali's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Done." Shepard looked at the group and they proceeded to the warehouse without a word.

Wrex blasted the door open and was immediately answered with a hail of gunfire. He charged in the door, shouting out, "two Destroyers, a Shock, and Salarians!" Shepard was surprised; "Salarians? Friend or foe?" A shotgun blast and a response, "Foe...one less!" Tali started working up an overload as Shepard ran in through the door, Liara right behind her. Garrus parked at the door, finding and sniping anything that presented itself; the Salarians were easy...unshielded, and they just ran into the open, shooting...strange for trained STG troops...and were dispatched quickly. He then concentrated fire on one of the Destroyers, chipping at its shield. Shepard ducked behind cover, suddenly realizing T'Soni had followed her when the Asari ducked behind the same crate, tucking in next to her to stay in cover. Sam glared at her, "Liara! What the hell..." She didn't even finish the question before Liara leaned out and lifted one of the Destroyers, who Wrex then promptly killed with a warp. "Tali and Garrus have the two positions by the door; I had no position to fight unless I came in..." Liara smiled as she issued her next statement. "I thought, where safer to be than by your side?" Shepard leaned out the other side of their cover and threw out her own lift, this time the Shock Trooper rose in the air. Back in cover, she glanced at Liara; still not sure what to think of this development, she simply muttered, "Shock Troop. Warp. Two o'clock. Liara grinned in triumph, leaned out, and warped the Trooper into non existence with the biotic combo. Tali finally got a line on the remaining Destroyer and overloaded its shield. The fight ended quickly after that.

Working through the maintenance area, all they found was a Juggernaut, who fell quickly to the combined fire of the five-man team, followed up with two more Salarians in a small security office. Shepard called a temporary halt to check everyone's status, but everyone was doing well, so far she was the only one to take any serious fire after that damned surprise rocket attack. She restocked her medigel from the security stores, and everyone slammed another energy drink. The team then followed a narrow stairwell down to a door labeled Cell Block A. Inside, they found two cells occupied. One had a single Salarian inside, Lt Ganto Inmess, who introduced himself as a member of the STG team and told a story of painful and mentally exhausting indoctrination experiments. As Inmess fell silent, Shepard cussed, and Wrex repeated his vow to make Saren pay. Shepard looked at Tali, "Hack the door and get him out of there," then looked back to Inmess. "Lieutenant, what about your fellow soldiers?" Inmess shook his head. "They are mostly indoctrinated, I fear. It would be safest to kill them, as we have no means to securely transport them all and there is no known cure at this point in time." Wrex positively glowered. "Indoctrinated, and no cure? You were right Shepard. This has to end. My people will not suffer this fate!" Shepard's face took on a grave expression. "Damn Saren. Leave them...we'll leave them in God's hands." Shepard was withdrawn as she walked away, moving in silence to a second stairwell on the other end of the room. A more solemn group climbed the second set of stairs...only to find another cell block, with four more indoctrinated Salarians they also chose to leave behind; with the bomb they were planting, Shepard knew it was a death sentence and it tore at her very soul.

Yet more stairs led the team to a dead-end storage room where two more indoctrinated Salarians met an untimely end. The Salarians charged the team as soon as the door opened, and Shepard and Wrex quickly stopped the charge via shotgun. Knowing what was looming in the future, Shepard thought maybe it was the most merciful way to end their lives. The team then had to backtrack through the disheartening cell blocks, returning all the way to the first security office they had discovered shortly after entering the facility, to find an elevator they had bypassed. Initially, they had assumed the stairs and elevator would lead to the same place; however, none of the rooms they cleared had an elevator as a potential exit...so, where ever the elevator opened had yet to be explored. Team Shadow boarded the elevator and rode it up, weapons primed and biotics ready. When the door opened at its destination, it was not what they expected; the team found themselves in a lab with multiple husks in some form of stasis field generators. As the team entered the room, they realized there were also two researchers present who did not appreciate the interruption; they had found the main Genophage facility lab and they were not welcome.

The room suddenly erupted in chaos; weapons fire going every direction, the husks were released from stasis. Tali and Garrus were both out of their elements, Tali, with no synthetics to hack, pulled her shotgun, and Garrus swapped out his sniper for his seldom used assault rifle. Wrex, of course, chose to take on the Krogan, Dr Droyas, throwing a warp before charging in, shotgun blazing, yelling "You are enslaving your own people!" as he ran across the room. Shepard called her biotics, and charged one husk, finishing it with a shotgun blast. Garrus called out, "Tali and I've got the remaining husks, Shepard. Take out that damned Asari!" Liara tossed out a singularity that pulled in a few husks, before having to take cover from the unknown Asari scientist launching a warp. Shepard threw a warp at the scientist and started blasting away with her Locust SMG, then dived behind cover, swapping over to her shotgun. She and Liara tag-teamed on the scientist, keeping her off balance, until her shields finally dropped. Shepard yelled, "Lift!" and Liara immediately responded; as soon as the scientist left the ground, Shepard turned into blue lightening and charged, the resultant biotic detonation killing the scientist... and the charge put her in shotgun range to help Wrex finish off the Krogan doctor. As the echoes of the last shotgun blasts died out, the room seemed unnaturally quiet. Shepard rounded up the team and pointed to a medical station at the end of the lab. "Anyone need to refill medigel, do it now. I have a feeling things are just going to get more interesting as we go..." Tali packed some medigel away in one of her many suit storage pockets, but she was the only one. Liara had a wry smile on her face as she quipped, "interesting is not exactly the word I would use to describe... this..." Everyone waited expectantly for Shepard to lead on. The commander stretched her neck, rolled her shoulders, hefted her shotgun and stepped through the next door.

There was a short dead-end hall to the right, and a long hallway off to the left. Shepard quietly cautioned, "Barriers up. Long narrow hallway, no room to maneuver, and a blind corner at the end. Be ready!" The team then padded softly up the hall, expecting something to shoot around the corner at any time. They made it to the corner uneventfully, but when Shepard peeked around the corner, she was practically face to face with two Geth. She yelled, "Troopers!" as she released a shotgun blast. Liara quickly sealed the hall with a singularity and Tali started furiously typing on her omnitool. The first Trooper rounded the corner and got blasted by the little Quarian with an overload. Its shields fell, and it was immediately sucked into the singularity, where Wrex and Shepard finished it off with two simultaneous close-range shotgun blasts. The second Trooper had no chance when Shepard, Wrex and Liara stepped around the corner and hit it with three warps followed immediately by weapons fire.

With the Troopers out of the way, they rounded the corner and found a door. They opened it and saw an Asari scientist hiding behind a desk. She immediately popped up when they entered. "Don't shoot! Please, I just want to get out of here before it's too late!" Shepard growled at her, "Everyone in this place is trying to kill me..." The scientist sounded on the edge of panic. "Do I look like a soldier? I'm a neurospecialist, and this job isn't worth dying for...or worse! You think indoctrination only affects prisoners? Sooner or later, Saren will want to dissect my brain too!" Shepard, a bit confused, asks, "I thought this was a breeding facility?" The Asari answers quickly, "Not this level...we're studying Sovereign's effects on organic minds. At least that's what I assumed... Saren kept me in the dark as much as possible." Garrus chips in, "You helped him, and you didn't' even know why?" The scientist practically snorts her answer, "I didn't have the option of negotiating. This position is a little more...permanent than I'd expected. But I can help you. This elevator behind me goes to Saren's private lab. I can get you in!" The scientist goes to the door, swipes the console and the door goes green. "See! Full access! All of Saren's private files. Are we good? Can I go?" Shepard stares her down, deciding what to do. Finally, she gives in. "I'm going to blow this place to hell and gone. If you want to make it out alive, you'd better start running now." The scientist tries to stammer out a question, then just breaks and takes off running. Garrus looked at Shepard, shaking his head. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?" Shepard responded with a half-hearted grin. "Maybe just a little... Let's go check out this private lab..." Wrex grunted, "I would have killed her. You're too nice, Shepard. Someday that's going to get you killed. Unless I'm around to protect you, that is." Shepard punched him in the arm, flashed a grin, and moved on. Saren's lab was apparently empty, so the team fanned out to search for any useful data. Suddenly Garrus called out, "Commander, look over here. It's another beacon! Like the one on Eden Prime." Without hesitation, Shepard approached the control panel and activated the beacon.

The team watched as the beacon powered up, the green aura glowing brighter until it reached out, grabbed the commander, and once more, Shepard was suspended in mid air by alien technology beyond understanding. She felt the surge of power course through her body, and now familiar images flashed through her mind, though this time it was somehow...different. Samantha realized she could actually see; the visions were no longer overwhelming; the cipher must have allowed her to actually process the images and understand them. As before, the pace accelerated until the images became a blur, too fast for her to comprehend individually, but she maintained enough awareness to realize this time there was...more. This beacon was fully functional. There would be no truncation of the message; it would be complete. Suddenly, it was over, the energy fell away and Shepard dropped to one knee on the floor, drained and shaking, a sheen of sweat on her brow. She stood, staggering slightly, and she felt steadying hands on her shoulders. Liara whispered soft concern into her ear, "Shepard, are you alright?" Samantha turned toward the Asari and received a stabilizing direct gaze. A firm nod of her head, the commander stood balanced once again. "I'm good, thanks. Nothing like when the first beacon's explosion hit me. Let's move. We've still got a bomb to set!"

As they walked up the ramp, a holographic image appeared before them. Garrus commented, "This is not good... What is that? Some kind of VI interface?"

The ghostly figure before them started to speak. "You are not Saren...Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."

Garrus spoke quietly, "Shepard, I don't think this is a VI..."

The holo continued, "There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign!"

Shepard steps up, "Sovereign isn't just some Reaper ship Saren found. It's an actual Reaper!"

Sovereign spoke, with disdain, "Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply...are. Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything."

Shepard was defiant, refusing to believe in the inevitability of defeat. "There is an entire galaxy of races uniting and ready to face you."

In his arrogant monotone, Sovereign replied, "Confidence born of ignorance. The cycle cannot be broken."

As Sovereign continues, Shepard hears Liara quietly murmur, "Cycle? Goddess, I was right!"

"The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance. And at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the mass relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind."

Shepard was curious, this made no sense! "Why would you construct the mass relays, then leave them for someone else to find?"

"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it."

Liara's scientific mind churning, she quickly hypothesized the purpose behind such actions. This time when she spoke, it was loud and clear. "They are harvesting us! Letting us advance to the level they need, then wiping us out..." Shepard followed up this line of thinking... "What do you want from us? Slaves? Resources?"

"My kind transcends your very understanding. We are each a nation, independent, free of all weakness. You cannot even grasp the nature of our existence."

Shepard strove to grasp just that, continuing to query the holograph, "Where did you come from? Who built you?"

The holo sounded bored, like it was speaking to group of recalcitrant students, "We have no beginning. We have no end. We are infinite. Millions of years after your civilization has been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure. We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom."

Still failing to even remotely understand the purpose behind such cyclical destruction, Shepard got angry. "You're not even alive! Not really...you're just a machine...and machines can be broken!"

Sovereign seemed perturbed, if not angry, as he finished, "Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over."

Immediately following Sovereign's last statement, all the windows of Saren's lab exploded inward, littering Shadow with shrapnel of glass. Just then, Joker piped in, "Commander, we got trouble! That ship, Sovereign? It's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half. It's coming your way, and it's coming hard! You need to wrap things up in there...fast!" "Alright people, you heard the man! Let's get to that breeding facility. Joker can pick us up after we set the nuke!" The team hustled back to the elevator and back out through the office onto the ramp. Though they had killed two Troopers on the way in, there was now a Geth Destroyer in their place, and three Krogan warriors en route, still a bit down the path. All three biotics nailed the Destroyer, Wrex and Shepard with warps, and Liara, a fraction of a second behind, with a throw that sent the Destroyer off the elevated walkway. As Garrus and Tali came out, they both ducked down behind the wall for cover, Garrus leaning out with his sniper to dissuade the Krogan from a full charge up the path, and Tali working her omnitool to build up an overload. Shepard and Wrex combined their barriers and slowly advanced together, tossing out warps until the first Krogan's shield dropped, who Shepard then finished using a throw to send him down to join the Destroyer. In the meantime, Liara had lifted a second Krogan for Garrus and Tali to chip away at, while using her Shuriken to keep the third warrior at bay. When the overload was ready, Tali hit the third warrior, dropping his shields and Liara warped him, knocking him back. By then, Shepard had recovered enough biotic energy to charge, and readying her shotgun, blasted in for the kill, then turned, and with a second close-range shotgun blast, finished off the Krogan now floating over her head. That opened access to the next doorway, which Shepard opened from the side, then peeked in around the edge. Nothing. The way was clear. The entire team trotted up the long open hallway.

Kicking open the door at the end of the hall, the entire team stormed out, expecting resistance. All they found was a single Krogan, easily overwhelmed with the combined firepower of all five team members. As they continued up a long ramp, their next obstacle was three rocket drones, which were easily defeated by ducking in and out of cover. Each member took turns exposing themselves to draw fire, then the other four would combine fire to destroy the closest drone. Before long, all three drones were down. The team moved quickly toward a platform at the top of the ramp, and found a turret control and an elevator. Tali went to work deactivating the AA turret control, which must have triggered some type of alarm, because as soon as the AA turret went offline, a Geth Rocket Trooper and one Shock Trooper showed up behind them from the ramp the team had just climbed. The team turned to face them, Liara launching a stasis field on the Rocket Trooper, so the team could concentrate fire on the second attacker. The Shock Troop fell quickly, and as they went to work on the Rocket Troop, the elevator behind them suddenly opened, revealing an additional Shock Trooper and two standard Geth Troopers. Shepard called out, "Liara with me! Rest get the newbies!" With combined biotics, Shepard and Liara made relatively quick work of the Rocket Trooper then turned and joined the battle ongoing behind them. Wrex charged straight in to the newly arrived Shock Trooper, leading with warp, followed up with a head butt and close range shotgun blast, knocking the Trooper to the ground. One of the standard Troopers was busy bouncing shells off the back of Wrex's barrier, while the second was slowly advancing on Garrus and Tali. Shepard and Liara turned in time to see Wrex finish off the Shock Troop by crushing its head with an armored boot, so they concentrated fire on the Geth advancing on Garrus. Once the entire team was focused on just the two standard Geth Troopers, the battle rapidly drew to a close, and Team Shadow jumped on the elevator and took a short ride up.

Shepard glanced across all her team members, noting strain and weariness in all of their faces. _We need to end this soon or someone's going to get hurt. _"We're getting close. This elevator opens to the breeding grounds. We'll set the nuke and blow this taco stand." At a very puzzled look from Liara, Shepard laughed, "I'll explain later." The elevator door opened onto a short hallway, ending all discussion. The group advanced cautiously, expecting an attack as they approached the corner; they were not disappointed. Fortunately it was just a couple of those frog-like hopping things, easily suspended in a lift, and taken out by a swift bark from Garrus. They transited the first trench and stepped out into the center courtyard. Shepard told everyone on the team to either slam a drink or eat an energy bar while the Normandy got into position. "We need to be ready to defend the site while they download the nuke..." Then she got on the comm, "Kirrahe, we're at the rendezvous point. What's your status?" A static filled response indicated the AA guns had been loaded with explosives, and the team was ready to detonate on Shepard's mark. "Do it, and I'll call in the Normandy!" A quick call to Joker and the ship began its descent as a huge explosion sounded from the opposite side of the courtyard. Once the nuke was in place, Kaidan started prepping the arming and timing mechanisms. Shepard got on the radio, "Ash, Kaidan is prepping the bomb now, you and Kirrahe need to get to the rendezvous point ASAP!" "No can do, Skipper! We're pinned down here and can't get to the exit!" Ashley's voice sounds resigned, "Do what you need to do, Shepard." "No way I'm leaving without you, Ash! Joker, can you get in there and grab them?" "Too hot, Commander! Way too much going on up there!" Kaidan piped in, "I'm still working on the arming sequence, Shepard. Bomb won't be ready for a few minutes yet...Go get 'em!"

"Alright, let's move! Kill fast, move fast...we're on a tight schedule!" Shepard took off running, relying on the team to keep up with her... As she blasted into the trench on the opposite side of the courtyard, she jerked up short and dived to the side for cover as one of the Geth hoppers fired the first volley. Liara saw it, quickly disabled it with a lift, and Garrus dropped it with a well placed sniper shot. The trench was not going to be easy; even with the first hopper down, a second was still blasting away, and it was accompanied by two Krogan warriors and a Krogan Warlord. Tali drew her shotgun for defense and started working her omnitool for an overload to take down the Warlord's shields, just as Wrex launched a warp at him. Shepard leaned out of cover to toss a lift at the second hopper, and Garrus wasted no time removing a second threat from the scene. Only the Krogan remained in the way. Seeing the source of the biotic lift, the Warlord charged Shepard as Wrex charged the Warlord, and the three ended up in a chaotic pile of ruthless hand-to-hand combat. Anyone who didn't know the commander would wonder how a little human could hold her own in such a conflict; such doubts plagued the Warlord... and that proved his undoing. Because of his misperception, when Wrex charged in, the Warlord changed his focus from the commander to Wrex, leaving Shepard wide open to do what she willed. That 'will' included pulling on her biotics for an explosive charge, accompanied by a shotgun butt, then blast...all to an unprotected side while the Warlord's attention was centered on Wrex.

With Shepard, Wrex and the Warlord so closely entangled, to avoid injuring one of their own, Garrus, Tali and Liara were forced to focus on the remaining two Krogan warriors. Liara tossed a lift at one, and the three concentrated weapons fire on the warrior remaining. Once his shields dropped, Liara trapped him in a singularity and focus shifted back to the other warrior who was now released from the lift. Again using concentrated fire, they delayed that Krogan long enough for Liara to recharge her biotics. She tossed a warp at the singularity, causing a biotic explosion that killed the Krogan inside it, and completely dropped the shields of the last remaining warrior.

The Warlord raged in pain at the pesky little human, who somehow dropped his shield and managed to penetrate his armor with a damned shotgun! He swung his shotgun with all his might at Shepard's head. She ducked to the side and absorbed the impact on her shoulder instead, but the force was still enough to send her sprawling across the floor with her barrier failing. Fully exposed, she saw the Warlord raising his shotgun... _This is going to freaking hurt like hell!..._as she tried to roll to cover. She heard the blast, but felt nothing, so quickly regained her feet and looked back. Wrex had gripped the Warlord's arm and shoved it upward...the blast she heard was from Wrex's shotgun as he planted it under the enemy Krogan's chin and removed his face. Neither one being the type to stop in the middle of a fight, they turned to see their compatriots dropping the shields of the only remaining foe. Shepard immediately tossed a lift, and Wrex quickly followed with a warp, ending the confrontation. Short on time, Team Shadow pressed forward, everyone climbing into yet another elevator at the end of the trench.

Meeting no resistance, the team rolled out of the elevator and with a quick glance, headed up a ramp on the left to an upper level of the facility. A Geth dropship roared over top, heading toward the courtyard, the nuke... and Kaidan. Shepard got on the comm, "LT, we just spotted a troop ship inbound to your location." Kaidan replied, "It's already here, and bleeding Geth all over the bomb site." Shepard queried, "Can you hold them off?"

The LT sounded desperate, "There's too many, Commander... I don't think we can hold 'em...there's no time! I'm activating the nuke!" Shepard, angry, shouted, "What the hell are you doing, Alenko?"

"Making sure this bomb goes off...no matter what! It's done, Commander. Go get Ashley and get the hell out of here." When she heard Kaidan's recommendation, Ashley vehemently protested, "The hell with that! Go back and get Alenko!"

Shepard realized there was no way out of this one, "It's not that easy Ash! It's not just you... it's Kirrahe and his men as well. Hold out, Chief, we're on our way! Joker, get the Normandy in the air and be ready to pick us up by the AA tower!" Shepard made the decision, "I'm sorry, Kaidan..."

The lieutenant's last response sounded resigned. "It's ok, Commander...I know it's the right choice. I'd do the same..."

_Damn it! _ "Let's move!" Shepard bolted to the left, taking one more elevator ride to the roof. The team emerged from the elevator into a battle already in progress. Capt Kirrahe's remaining forces had whittled the Geth down to where only three Shock Troopers and two Destroyers remained. Catching them from the rear, the team quickly dismantled their defenses, with relatively quick kills. As the guns fell silent, the sound of a personal hovercraft broke the quiet and Saren arrived on site, launching biotic attacks and weapons fire from above. The team scrambled for cover as Tali sabotaged Saren's weapon; Saren cast it aside, jumping from the platform to the roof. As Saren approached, the commander, barrier up, SMG in hand, stepped out of cover to confront him. His barrier was amazingly strong, as three rounds from the submachine gun cause it to waiver but not drop. Saren started to speak, "This has been an impressive diversion, Shepard. My Geth were utterly convinced the Salarians were the real threat." Saren tried to explain his reasoning; that the Reapers were invincible, using the Protheans as an example, that the only way to save lives was to become subservient to them, to prove useful to the Reapers so they would not kill everyone. "Is submission not preferable to extinction?" Shepard didn't buy his argument and made her position clear. "I'd rather die than live under the rule of those machines!" After a few more exchanges, Saren realized Shepard would not be swayed. "You would undo my work. You would doom our entire civilization to complete annihilation, and for that, you must die!"

Saren jumped back to his hover platform and started blasting away with his biotics and rockets from the hovercraft. Shepard's barrier took a big hit, but held, as the rest of the team started hammering on Saren's barriers. Shepard advanced her position, dashing past a pile of crates to get some cover, and continued firing on Saren. She tossed a warp, finally dropping his barrier, and Saren responded with a volley of rockets, expending all the munitions remaining on his hovercraft. The resultant explosions stunned everyone on the team, knocking most of them to the ground, including Shepard. Saren took advantage of the respite and closed the distance to the commander, jumped from his platform, grabbed her, and dragged her to the edge of the roof. Saren then picked her up by the neck and suspended her over the edge, his eyes blazing in anger, his unnaturally tight grip choking her and causing her vision to blur. Shepard was beginning to gasp for breath when two thing happened; first the warning siren for the nuke started blaring, and second, the team had started to recover, and Liara got off a couple of shots with her Shuriken SMG. The first distracted Saren enough to loosen his grip and Samantha sucked in a lungful of air; the second caused him to turn toward Liara, dragging the commander away from a multistory drop and back over the firm surface of the roof. He looked back toward Shepard just in time for her fist to crash into the side of his jaw, staggering him backward and causing him to drop her. He beat a hasty retreat to his hovercraft and lifted off to return to Sovereign.

As soon as Saren departed, the Normandy flew into view and eased in close, the loading ramp directly off the edge of the roof. Shepard collected her team, all of Kirrahe's men still surviving, and boarded the Normandy. Shepard ran immediately to a window, watching Vermire fade in the distance as the nuke obliterated much more than just the breeding facility. Shepard blinked, her eyes glistening, she whispered to herself, "Goodbye, Kaidan." Ashley stood behind her, slightly off to one side so she could also see the planet vanishing behind them, tears in her eyes as she recited a verse of one of her favorite Sir Alfred Tennyson's poems, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them, Volley'd and thunder'd;  
Storm'd at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well,  
Came thro' the jaws of death, Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them,  
Left of six hundred.

After a long moment of silence, Shepard turned to the Chief, eye to eye, and placed a hand on her shoulder in silent consolation. After a few seconds, Samantha closed her eyes, dropped her head, and whispered, "All that was left of them." She gently gripped Ashley's shoulder for a few seconds, then dropped her hand and walked away in silence.


	12. The Weight of Command

Shepard walked to her quarters and removed her armor, then proceeded to the med bay. As the door closed behind her, Karin looked up with a simple greeting. "Commander." Shepard hesitated momentarily, and then stoically made the required statement to the ship's chief medical officer. "Dr Chakwas. I am sorry to report that Lt Kaidan Alenko was killed in action on Vermire. No remains available for disposition to the family." Karin pursed her lips, then schooled her expression, looked directly at Samantha and responded, "Understood, Commander. I'll make the final annotations and close out the Lieutenant's medical records for inclusion in the death notification to Alliance HQ." After a brief pause, she asked her friend. "How are you?" For the moment, Samantha chose to ignore the true purpose of Karin's question and answered the medical doctor instead, "I took a hard rocket, dropped my shields, and consequently took multiple rounds to my right side. Hurt like hell." Karin motioned her up onto one of the treatment tables, and continued, with a cool look in her eyes, "That's not what I meant, and you know it, but if you're not ready to talk about it, I won't press. You know how to find me when you need...Now, compression shirt off, Commander, and let's get you patched up."

Sam pulled the shirt off over her head, wincing as the pressure of the shirt was removed from the wounds. Now bare on top, she laid back on the table for Karin to start work. As Karin removed the temporary medigel patch and cleaned the wound, Sam hissed. "We had to destroy a Krogan cloning facility. The position was being overrun. Kaidan stayed back to guard a nuke...to make sure it would go off and complete the mission." Karin's hands paused only momentarily... "I see..." and she focused on her work, starting the bone stitcher. "You have some stress fractures on the ribs, must have been high impact rounds. Between that and the muscle stitching we'll have to do, you'll be sore for a few days, but you'll only need light duty for 24 hours. Armored or not, might be a good idea to keep a compression shirt on for the same 24 hours to minimize rib movement." Sam closed her eyes, steadied herself, and spoke with no emotion, "I had to pick, Karin...I could have gone back and supported the position, cleared out the Geth...but the Chief was also pinned down, a separate location, with a full Salarian squad. Total of a dozen folks surviving. I had to pick the 12 over the one." Sam fell silent and didn't continue...didn't tell her that Kaidan agreed with the call, that Ashley was angry at the choice and would most likely be suffering survivor's guilt. Sam was the commander. It was her decision, her pain to bear, and it wouldn't be right to dump it in Karin's lap.

The bone stitcher finished; Karin set the muscle stitcher in motion. "I'm sorry, Commander. I know the choice seems obvious, but I also know how you care for those under your command. It could not have been easy, to leave one of your own behind." Just then, the door slid open and Liara started to enter the med bay. When she realized the commander was laying on the treatment table half naked, she immediately stopped and turned around, blushing, "Oh! I am sorry! I did not realize you were in here getting treatment, Commander!" Samantha laughed softly at Liara's bashfulness. "It's alright, Liara. Feel free to walk through to your room...unless you're here to see the doc..." Suddenly, as if she had not considered that possibility before, Sam's face looked more serious, and her tone more concerned. "You didn't get injured, did you?" Liara was rooted to the spot with indecision, facing away from the commander, torn between wanting to retreat, wanting to run to her room, and trying to figure out if it was rude to answer the commander's question without turning to face her. The pause was long enough, Sam encouraged a response, "T'Soni?" Liara turned a bright shade of purple at this point, finally blurting out, "I do not understand military protocol! I honestly don't know if it is impolite to face you or disrespectful to not face you when answering the question, or if it is rude, or... By the Goddess, you're naked! How am I supposed to act?" At this, Karin dropped her eyes and raised her hand, hiding the smile ready to explode into laughter. Samantha had no such restraint and laughed out loud. "I'm sorry, Liara, I shouldn't laugh at your discomfort, but it's just so damn...refreshing! No worries. Trust me; every member of the ground crew has seen me, at one time or another, in some degree of disrobement, thanks to my penchant for getting injured in the field." Still flustered, Liara bleated, "But that does not answer my question!" Frustrated now, Sam assumed her command voice. "T'Soni, get over here and answer MY question...Did you get injured and not tell me?" Liara, who had been slouching like she was trying to disappear, bolted upright and, almost involuntarily, spun on her heal at the unexpected change in tone. She did not move, but looked directly into the commander's eyes and answered, "No, ma'am, I did not get injured during the mission, other than the head ringing we all took when Saren launched every rocket remaining on that damn hover platform."

That statement got Karin's attention, and she turned to Liara, beckoning her over and running a quick scan. "Any headache, blurred vision?" Liara, relieved to no longer be looking at Samantha, lying on a table, breasts exposed. _Fit, strong, toned muscles...I want to just...touch... oh, Goddess, help me!_ shook her head and answered shakily, "No, really, I am fine." Karin acquiesced with a smile, "The scans don't indicate anything, so I have to agree with her, Commander. Unlike you, she apparently escaped unscathed." Sam was relieved, and let Liara off the hook. "Very good. Liara, feel free to retire to your room, I'll check in with you when the doc is done with me here." Sam smiled in light amusement as Liara sighed in relief and practically bolted from the room. "I don't get that girl, Karin. Asari supposedly have fewer hang-ups with sexuality and nakedness than humans, and when I woke up the morning after our mandated rest period, she was stuck to me like white on rice...I could hardly move, she was hugging me so tight. Then something like this happens, and she's embarrassed as all get out."

"That's not a fair comparison, Commander. In that situation, you were both clothed, and it was private; nor was I in the room during all that. I'm sure she would be just fine with other Asari, and while she is very intelligent, she is still young, and very much aware of our cultural differences. She probably has yet to figure out how to deal with them. Be gentle with her." Samantha smiled wistfully, "No worries on that account, Doctor."

Karin returned to Shepard's bedside and, its work being complete, moved the muscle stitcher out of the way. "I'll just put a few skin patches on the more torn up spots, do a little skin regeneration, and you'll be done. I'll do some soft tissue regeneration while I'm at it. Care to tell me how you got the lovely bruise necklace you now have adorning your neck?" The commander relayed the story of Saren, ending with Liara's well-timed Shuriken shots causing him to turn, dropping Samantha on the roof, rather than the multi-story fall off the side of the building. Sam ended with a smile, "That damned Asari is starting to make a habit of saving my ass. It's bad for my reputation!" Karin laughed, "I'm glad someone is watching out for you, Commander! I think I'm going to like Dr T'Soni very much... very much indeed! Now, go make your promised visit and get out of my med bay! I have work to do." Sam got up and put her compression shirt back on, grimacing at the initial pressure, then relaxing. "Ahhh, much better. Thanks, Doc. And Karin...no, it never becomes easy to leave anyone behind...no matter how many times I have been forced to do it." The commander suddenly looked a bit more somber and mumbled, "But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." Karin looked at her once more and quirked an eyebrow in question. "Twentieth century human poet, Robert Frost. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. It... seemed appropriate." Karin sighed, "That it is, Commander. That it is."

The commander knocked on Liara's door and was greeted by a melodious, "Come in." Sam tapped the door panel and stepped into the room; Liara was seated at her little desk, busy typing away. Sam moved into the room, plopping onto a spare crate, showing the courtesy to not interrupt her work. When she finished her thought, Liara turned and bashfully smiled, a light blush still on her cheeks. "Hello, Samantha. All done with Karin, I see." Her mood took a downswing as she asked, "How are you? You look... distracted." Sam sighed, "Seems to be a popular question today. I really don't know yet. Still processing, and have too much to do to make time to think about it right now. Sorry to say, but this can't be a long visit. I just have a couple things to run by you." Liara looked disappointed, "Ok, Commander, what do you need?" Sam shook her head and glanced down, before returning to meet Liara's gaze. "That doesn't mean you have to call me Commander. Just because we may be talking business, it's still a private conversation, and I'd like to keep it that way... conversational. I know you have no military background, so you have no cultural experience to base this on... but keeping things 'casual' per say equates to 'off the record' and it gives people permission to speak freely without fear of retribution or punishment for saying something I may not agree with. Do you understand?" Liara contemplated the information for a moment then nodded, "Yes, that makes perfect sense to me. So, what do we need to discuss 'off the record' as you say?"

Sam took a deep breath and looked directly eye to eye with Liara. "The beacon. I could tell the information was not truncated like on Eden Prime. There was...simply... more. I don't know how else to explain it, but I know it's more complete." Liara was excited, "So, you want to meld and sort the data! Figure out what info we now have!" Sam was hesitant. "Yes, and no... Yes, we need to do it, but we have to be careful here. We've already melded, and I hate to say it, but I don't want the crew to know. It may seem like we tried to hide it." Liara burst out, "But we didn't! It just happened...it needed to happen! We did nothing wrong! I refuse to believe that!" Shepard interrupted her, raising a hand to signal a break. "I know that, so do you, and so does Karin... but that won't change perceptions of the crew. So, here's my suggestion. We wait for the debrief, which will be soon, within the next couple of hours, and we'll meld in there, in front of the entire ground crew. It's still not ideal, because the main objector the first time was...well, you know..." Samantha tapered off, unable to finish the sentence. Liara finished for her, "Kaidan, and now he's not here to stop it anymore." Samantha let out a long sigh. "Yes, exactly. I don't think anyone will object though, because everyone knows you now. So, I think it's the best solution. You just need to report everything you see, including everything we've already discussed, just like it's our first time." Liara nodded, understanding exactly where the commander was going. "And, I'll be sure to have an energy drink before hand, so hopefully I won't experience the exhaustion I had the first time...plus you should be much more receptive this time, the meld should go much smoother."

Sam looked troubled for just an instant, then her expression cleared. "I really only have one concern with this...don't take this badly...it's a good thing...but you can't lie worth a shit." Sam had to laugh at Liara's shocked expression. "It's ok, Liara, like I said, it's a good thing! Just don't ever play poker. Anyway, don't bring the meld up...just let me handle it, and play along best you can. Sound good?" Liara went from shocked to puzzled, and asked, "Poker?" Sam shook her head... "Oh gosh...um...A human card game, where you bet on your cards...but you have to keep the quality of your hand...um the cards you hold, and the strength of your play... a secret, so the other folks in the game will stay in and bet against you. If you hide it well, you can bluff with a weak hand and make other people drop out, or if you hide a great hand, people stay in and keep raising the bet. In the end, you can get even more money from them." Sam looked at Liara questioningly, not sure if her explanation made any sense at all to the Asari. Liara smiled, "Yes, I understand, we have similar games in Asari culture, but your assumption would be correct. I have never been very good at them. However, in this case, I feel if you lead, I will be able to play along."

"Ok, good. I think we'll get through this just fine...which brings me to my next topic... of getting through things. I wanted to thank you...seems you are developing a knack for pulling my ass out of the fire whenever I am facing impending doom caused by a long fall to a premature death." Liara once again looked puzzled, so Sam explained. "Ok, too cryptic. I'll give you that one. First time you saved me from a volcano, and today you saved me from a multi-story fall." Liara honestly still looked baffled, "What are you talking about, Shepard?" Sam's eyebrows went up. "Really? You don't know?" Liara just shrugged and shook her head no, so Sam had to explain the same story she had recently related to Karin. When Shepard got to the part about her dangling out past the edge of the roof, Liara paled considerably. "By the Goddess, Shepard! I...I didn't see that from where I was standing! How did I not see that? I had no idea you were not still over the roof! What if he had dropped you, instead of turning?" Liara was actually trembling, "I could very well have killed you!" It was too much for her to contemplate, tears started forming in Liara's eyes and Shepard couldn't stand it. Sam jumped up and went to her, kneeling in front of her chair, clasping Liara's hands. "Hey, Blue...it's ok! No worries! If he had dropped me off the building, you just would have snatched me back with one of those tremendous pulls of yours." Sam smiled, trying to lift the mood.

Liara was having none of it. She got up and started pacing, almost frantically. She spoke quickly, "It is no joking matter, Samantha Shepard! I do not see any humor in this situation at all. We lost Kaidan, and I had no idea I was so close to losing you as well! I... " Sam intercepted her, standing in her path and cupping both sides of Liara's face with her hands, forcing Liara to stop. "Liara! I'm ok! He didn't drop me! Sometimes, when you do the things we do, you just have to accept that a little luck goes a long way..." Sam ducked her head down at an angle, and gently tried to guide Liara's face to they would be looking at one another. Even though Liara resisted, trying to look down to hide the tortured look in her eyes, Sam was persistent, and won the battle of wills. Her piercing gaze eventually penetrated the clouded expression in Liara's eyes. Sam whispered softly, one more time, "It's ok, Liara. Believe me." before gently wiping the tears from Liara's face, then hugging her tight. Liara clung on for dear life, and they remained that way for a few moments before Sam managed to break the embrace. "Liara, I really need to go. We'll talk later, though, Ok?" Liara answered meekly, "Yes, of course Shepard...I am sorry."

"No apologies, T'Soni. It's an emotional time for all of us right now." Sam caressed a damp blue cheek, "Later, Liara, I promise," and headed down to the personal lockers in the armory.

* * *

"Joker, point the nose to Noveria, please. When we get close, try to time the jump so we arrive at first light. I want a good night's sleep and whole day in front of us when we land. Also, have the ground team report to the conference room in one hour for the Vermire debrief, and then make a ship wide announcement for a memorial service at 1600 hrs for Lt Alenko." After a brief pause, she heard, "Roger that, Commander." Nothing more. Sam really hoped Noveria gave them something; it was the only lead they had left. Shepard grabbed the box she had picked up and opened Kaidan's locker. He really didn't have many personal items, based on what was in his locker; his entire life was the Alliance. She slowly pulled everything out, removing all personalization and placing the reverted standard issue Alliance weapons and armor in the appropriate cleaning or storage bins. All personal items, insignias, badges, etc, Samantha collected and placed in the box she brought.

She remembered the story Kaidan told her about how he got trained as a biotic. Kaidan had been one of the lucky ones. He had developed biotic potential instead of terminal brain cancer after his Mom had been exposed to element zero, eezo, while he was in utero. When he was old enough, his family packed him off to Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training, where he met a beautiful girl named Rahna. Things went badly right from the start. The Alliance, in their infinite wisdom, had decided to hire Turians as the biotics instructors, even though the First Contact War hadn't been over for even ten years yet. Kaidan's instructor was a veteran, who introduced himself as the Turian "at the helm of the dreadnought that killed your father." Even with an ass as an instructor, Kaidan managed to keep his cool...until the instructor physically hurt Rahna by breaking her arm when she physically reached for a glass of water, instead of using her biotics. Kaidan rushed to her defense, only to receive a beating from the instructor. When the instructor pulled a knife and slashed him, Kaidan lost control, releasing a full biotic kick, killing his instructor. After a brief investigation, the Alliance closed the school and sealed all the records to hide their mistakes. Kaidan fell off the radar for a bit, but lacking any better options, ended up joining the Alliance Marines in 2173. Though he was three years Shepard's senior in age, he didn't join the Alliance until a year after she did. Had he joined immediately after BAaTT school closed down, Shepard's and Kaidan's positions may have been reversed and things could have been very different. She was going to miss his soulful eyes and his solid mission recommendations and feedback.

Samantha shook herself out of her reverie and continued to pack up Kaidan's things. She paused over a picture of Kaidan and his father...she had no idea when it was taken, but it was somewhere in Vancouver, Canada. Probably somewhere near where Kaidan's father had retired. She remembered Kaidan always had a fondness for bacon wrapped beef filets and a bottle of beer, saying something about the traditional food of his people. She smiled a sad, half-smile and put the picture in the box. She thought it depressing a man's entire life could fit in a shoe box, and they didn't even have a body to send home to his father. She had no idea how she was going to write the notification letter; Kaidan wasn't just one of the troops, he was a fellow officer and a friend.

As Shepard turned to walk away, she realized Ash was standing there, silently watching, her face a mix of anger and sorrow. Samantha set the box down on the armory workbench and walked over to Ashley. "How you doing, Ash?" Ashley looked stricken, "I...I can't believe Alenko didn't make it. How could we just leave him down there?" The Commander shook her head. "He set the damn countdown on that bomb. There was no time, I couldn't save you both, and I hate it." Sam knew what was coming. She'd seen survivor's guilt many times...sometimes experienced it personally, and knew it was a natural reaction. Ash blamed herself. "It should have been me, Commander. You know that." Shepard shook her head, trying to be patient with the grieving Ashley. "Chief, don't second guess me, and don't sell yourself short. You're a hell of a soldier, and as I told you on the ground, it wasn't just you. I had to pick the 12 over the one. There wasn't really a choice."

Ashley still couldn't come to terms with it. "I...I'm sorry Commander. you saved my life. I'm grateful for that, but I would have gladly stayed behind if it would have saved the LT." "I know, Ash. We all feel the same. It's who we are." Shepard's face became granite. "Kaidan's blood is on Saren's hands, and when we find that son-of-a-bitch again, we'll make him pay." Shepard shook herself, grief replacing the anger. "I'll see you at the debrief, Chief. I know it's tough, but try to bring your game face." Ashley looked at her, stood a little taller and straightened out her shoulders. A bit of angry fire showed in her eyes as she said, "Aye Aye, Commander." Ashley thought about how kind the Lieutenant had been. It seemed conflicted to her, that such a seemingly gentle soul, who always seemed to put others before himself, could be the same man who could tear an enemy apart at the molecular level with little or no regret. He had been the first to welcome the alien crew members on board, making sure they had what they needed, went out of his way to make them feel at home. Ashley had been busy being a xenophobe, and Alenko was busy making sure they knew their way around the mess hall. It just didn't seem fair that he should be the one to go. Of course, Ashley was well aware of how real life was seldom fair.

* * *

The Vermire debrief had been long, and they were close to wrapping it up when they finally visited the issue of the new beacon they discovered. Garrus chimed in, "Commander, from what I heard about Eden Prime, your second experience was a significant improvement?" Shepard agreed. "I think it had a lot to do with the addition of the cipher. Once my head settled down, the cipher allowed the visions to come into sharper focus...and I'm pretty sure the second beacon added more data." Shepard contemplated in silence for a moment, and then asked a question. "Liara, you offered once to meld with me, to join our minds to help me sort the beacon data in my head. I can actually make sense of the images now, but they still don't mean anything to me, maybe you would recognize them... Is that offer still good? Are you still willing?"

Liara hesitated, the crew interpreting her nervousness as nothing more than a natural byproduct of contemplating a meld with a personality such as Commander Shepard. No one thought anything of it, and their deception seemed to be working. She glanced around nervously before replying. "Yes, the beacon in Saren's lab was similar to the one you found on Eden Prime. Combining them both with the cipher, I should be able to help you put all those pieces together."

Shepard stood up and walked to the center of the room. "We may not have much time...we don't know how long Saren has had the data to try to puzzle it all out, but we have you. We should be able to beat him at his own game with that advantage. Let's do it. Just tell me what I need to do."

Liara stood and joined her. "This requires physical contact, Commander. We must join hands... then close your eyes and relax. Focus on the beacon images, Commander." Liara's eyes went black as she spoke the words, "Embrace eternity!" and initiated the meld. {_Samantha, focus on the beacon images. Show me everything again._} Liara narrated aloud, for the sake of the crew, "It is a distress call. A message sent out across the Prothean Empire. Goddess, the destruction! A warning against the Reapers. But the warning came too late. {_That's very good, Samantha. Breath, relax, control the rate of flow. You are doing very well! Remember to concentrate, and when we get done, remember to let me close the link slowly, please._} There are images, locations. Places I recognized from my research! The conduit is on Ilos! Saren needs to find the Mu Relay... It is the only way to get to Ilos, but it has been lost for centuries..."

Liara continued, "I'm going to withdraw from the link slowly now, Commander. We must ease out gently so as to not cause any type of neural shock to either of our systems...let me terminate the link from my side." Samantha relaxed and gave complete control to Liara, who withdrew softly, until Sam felt a sudden distinct pang of loneliness. Had she not been clutching Liara's hands, Samantha would have thought she had gone. As Liara retreated from the meld, her eyes returned to crystal blue, unusually bright with triumph. As Samantha reopened her eyes, she was mesmerized by the expression of... self-confidence... on Liara's face. Sam totally forgot the rest of the crew, temporarily suspended in time, admiring the rare view. Liara's satisfied smile faltered slightly as Samantha's expression puzzled her. She wondered if she had done something wrong when terminating the meld, if she had left Samantha somehow... stuck? Had her excitement about being able to identify Ilos caused her to be careless? As the worrying thoughts raced through her mind, her grip on Samantha's hands tightened, and she squeaked out "Commander, are you all right?"

The increased pressure on her hands was enough to break Samantha's self imposed trance. She blinked, and then replied, "Uhm... Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that... That was...amazing, Liara." She hesitated before continuing, dropping Liara's hands. "So, Ilos. You recognize it, but don't know where it is? I've never heard of the Mu Relay... You don't just...lose...a star system!" Liara shook her head. "The records are very old. The system had an unstable star that went supernova. It blew the system apart, tossing the relay to parts unknown, somewhere into deep space. It has never been found, at least not that we know of."

Garrus tossed his hat in the ring. "Great, so we need to find a relay that hasn't been seen in centuries, and it's us on one-each Normandy, versus Saren and an entire fleet of Geth, in a race to the finish. Not the best odds, Shepard." Shepard disagreed, "Ah, but you're forgetting... he may not even know what he's looking for yet. Saren doesn't have Liara...so maybe he hasn't even identified the planet as Ilos. I'll bet we've got the jump on him; but how the heck do we find it?" The commander looked at Liara. "No pressure, Dr T'Soni, but you're our research expert. This one is all you. Let me know how I can help." Having nothing to do with the meld being too taxing this time, Liara suddenly felt like she was going to faint all over again. _All me? No pressure?_

Shepard wrapped things up. "I guess we're finished here... just a couple of announcements. First, our next destination is Noveria in the Horse Head Nebula. Reports of Geth activity, so who knows what we'll find there. I do know we'll probably find a hostile bureaucracy, that doesn't recognize Alliance authority and hardly recognizes Spectres, so we won't get a lot of cooperation. Technically they are outside of Citadel Space, but there is an agreement granting me privileges, but the agreement has never been tested. We'll be able to dock the ship, and won't have to rely on a Mako drop, so I expect everyone to be ready to go. Initial team will be myself, Liara, and Garrus. Ash, you'll have Team 2 if we need backup, with Wrex and Tali. Get as much rest as you can tonight, we'll be there at first light."

Shepard glanced around...no questions, so she continued. "Second, I expect to see all of you at the memorial service for Lt Alenko, 1600 hrs if you didn't hear the announcement."

"Dismissed."

Sam returned to her quarters and started writing the letter to Kaidan's father. _God, I hate these things!_ After an hour, she still wasn't completely happy with it, but had to give up to get into her Navy Dress Blues for Kaidan's memorial service. _I'll finish it after the memorial, after I get some food in my stomach...and maybe a beer. Scratch the beer...that's a really bad idea. _ As Sam buttoned up her jacket, she started practicing what she was going to say at the ceremony, when her door chimed. She stopped and faced the door. "Come." Liara walked in, face down, reading a datapad as she walked in. "Shepard, I've been doing some research on Noveria and the companies invested..." Liara's head raised and her eyes drank in the commander standing before her. Her steps slowed, and her hands slowly lowered, the datapad forgotten. "Goddess! Commander!" Liara stopped dead in her tracks. "You...You look...magnificent!" In the time she had been on the Normandy, she had never seen Samantha in anything but her utility uniform or her armor. In either of those she looked... powerful, sexy...as they augmented her angular, muscular physique. But this...this was obviously the formal uniform, and it looked vastly different. The gold trim highlighting its smooth dark blue lines, the way the cut fit her body, her battle ribbons earned with blood and pain proudly arrayed across a strong chest...It commanded respect...yet more intriguing, it showed Liara a refined side of Samantha she had never seen. Beneath the rough and tumble, beneath the guns and armor and utility pockets, there was most definitely a woman. Samantha, by merely changing her clothes, had moved from strong sexy to womanly sensual, the uniform surprisingly softening her lines and definitely accenting her more feminine side. Liara found herself totally unprepared for the emotions and desires that evoked.

"Normandy to T'Soni...You were saying? Research...Noveria...investors?" A quick light smile flashed across Sam's face, but she did not have time to deal with a distracted Asari at the moment...the memorial service was only 15 minutes from now. Still getting no response from the entranced Asari, Shepard took on a firm tone. "Liara!" That startled the researcher, and a deep blush of embarrassment rushed up her neck and across her face. "Samantha...I am sorry... I have just never seen you in...this," indicating the uniform with a feeble motion of her hand. Liara finally recovered enough of her senses to continue. "In a formal dress uniform. You carry it...very well." Sam was in full commander mode. "Nice to be appreciated, but I'm short on time. Memorial service in fifteen. What have you got?" Sensing the unusual abruptness in Samantha's speech, Liara turned to business. "Sorry. I was researching Noveria and turned up some interesting information. Saren is a major stockholder in Binary Helix, and my mother is listed as his Executor for all business operations on Noveria." That brought Sam up short. "Benezia is Saren's agent on Noveria?" Liara looked at the floor, answering in a hesitant, quiet voice, "Yes, Commander."

One look at the expression on Liara's face and Shepard quickly realized the implications. _Holy shit._ Sam needed time to think about her approach to this news, so put Liara off. "Ok, we obviously need to discuss this, but we've got to get to the service. Join me for a private dinner, here in my cabin, tonight at 1900 hrs, and we'll talk. Acceptable?" Sam noted the worried crease in Liara's forehead as she responded, "Yes, Commander. I'll see you at the service, and then I'll be here, as requested." Sam felt she had somehow distressed the Asari with her request, and softened her stance, stepping to Liara and caressing a cheek before speaking. "Don't fret, Liara, we're just talking... and it will just be you and me. We'll figure it out. I gotta go. See ya soon, Blue!" Sam almost left Liara alone in her quarters before Liara snapped out of it and caught up, leaving along with Shepard to attend the service.

Liara had never been to a military memorial service and felt rather out of place. Dr Chakwas sensed her discomfort and caught her attention, waving her over. All the Navy personnel stood together in one group, most of the Marines in another, with a small contingent of four standing separately off to the side in a straight line. The outside two carried rifles, and the center two had flags; one was the Alliance flag, but Liara did not recognize the second. The two larger groups stood in perfectly straight lines, with their feet slightly apart and their hands clasped behind their backs. The Executive Officer, Lt Pressley, stood in the middle, at the front of both groups. When the Commander entered the bay, the Lt barked a sharp command, "Detail, Ten-hut!" and the two groups, in unison, clapped their heels together and stood ramrod straight, with their arms at their sides. Lt Pressley turned smartly about, and faced the commander, saluting. Commander Shepard returned the salute, both then dropping their arms. Liara noticed that when the command was issued, the remaining civilian personnel, like she and Karin, had fallen completely silent, but had not changed positions. A noticeable exception was Garrus. Even though in the civilian crowd, he stood at attention like the soldiers. Liara thought maybe she would ask him about that later.

Commander Shepard stood before them all, also at attention. When she spoke, "Parade, Rest!" the military members returned to the position of relative ease they had been in when she had originally entered, but everyone remained silent. The only sound was the gentle thrum of the Normandy's engines in the background. When Commander Shepard spoke, she did so in a deep, reverent voice that penetrated the silence of the Normandy.

"We are gathered here to honor the life of Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. He touched each of our lives in a different way. Most of us knew him as a brother-in-arms; some had the privilege to call him friend. Kaidan's easy going attitude had a calming influence on many of us, and I was always amazed at his ability to find peace and to bring it to others. Few people knew of the severe migraines he suffered if he overused his biotics...that's because Lt Alenko never complained. He was a soldier's soldier, dedicated to duty and dedicated to the mission. We all say we are prepared to give our life in defense of the ideals and freedoms we choose to protect, but relatively few of us are ever actually called upon to do so. If that day comes, we all pray we have the fortitude and strength to face it as Lt Kaidan Alenko did...without hesitation, without regrets, duty and honor foremost in our minds. Today, we lay a good Marine to rest, and our force is the lesser for it."

After a brief pause, Commander Shepard snapped to attention and barked, "Detail, Ten-hut!" Every member snapped to join her. "Present...Arms!" Every member snapped a salute in near perfect unison before the plaintive wail of a single horn played a song that almost made Liara sob. _How can a single instrument sound so...forlorn?_ As the last note waivered and died, the commander dropped her salute, ordered "Order...Arms" and looked to the group of four, "Present the flag." The four marched forward until directly in front of the commander, dipping the flag that Liara did not recognize. She could now read it, and realized it belonged to the Alliance Marine Corps. Lt Pressley stepped forward and gathered it, removing it from the staff pole, the detail of four then reversing and returning to their original location. Pressley handed one end to the commander, and together they folded it, very precisely, into a triangle, Pressley taking it and smoothing all the final edges. The commander saluted Pressley once more, and he slowly reached out and handed the flag over to her. Samantha turned sharply, and placed the flag into a decorative box on a table Liara had not noticed earlier. The commander returned to her original position, then spoke very softly to Lt Pressley and said, "Dismiss the troops." Lt Pressley turned sharply to face the formation, and issued the final command of the ceremony, "Fall Out!" The entire formation, both groups in unison and in perfect cadence, took a step backward, came back once more to attention, and did an about face, all heals coming together in a final position of attention with a resounding snap. Liara was amazed when, at that point very evidently finished and after such precision, the group literally just crumbled apart, each individual suddenly going in their own direction, seeming eager to get away from such a reminder of mortality. _I cannot blame them...It is...unsettling._

Liara started to walk toward Shepard when something made her stop. The commander had returned to the table and was respectfully sealing the flag display box, taking great care that the flag was perfectly positioned inside. She then picked it up and packed it very carefully into the shipping crate containing the remainder of Kaidan's personal belongings. Sam bowed her head and stood still, apparently saying her own personal final goodbyes. Liara couldn't see Samantha's face, but was sure her eyes were closed. Suddenly feeling like she was intruding on a highly personal moment, Liara turned and returned to the med bay, wondering if Karin was up to conversation.

Though outwardly calm and controlled, Samantha's insides were churning. Kaidan's death brought too many memories...all the friends she had lost over her years of service. As she placed the flag in the shipping crate, she came to accept the letter to Kaidan's father would never get any better. She would never find the words to ease the pain, to lessen the loss, or to bring Kaidan home to Vancouver. The words just plainly did not exist. She closed her eyes and hung her head in sorrow. She was called a hero, but no one knew better than her, the mistakes she had made. The bad calls that got people killed, the signals she'd missed causing her to act seconds too late to save one soldier or another. The mental list of names she carried with her of all the people who had died under her command...the name of every soldier for which she had ever needed to write one of those damn letters was burned in her memory, but the list was getting too long...now, one longer. She would write them down, tonight, before they got too numerous to recall from memory. They did not deserve to be forgotten, and she would do what it took to remember them all...to never forget the people who had placed their trust in her to get them home. The people she had failed. She had no idea how long she had been standing there, but when she sighed and picked up the crate, she realized she was very much alone in the room. She shook her head and walked slowly to her quarters, with the weight of one more dead marine in her arms and on her heart.


	13. It's Only Dinner

Liara walked into the medical bay and looked around at a disappointingly empty office...no Dr Chakwas. Liara was at a loss, as she intended to inquire as to the protocol for being invited to the commander's room for a private dinner. There was no one else on the crew who she felt she could get an appropriate, or more specifically, discrete, answer from. Thinking perhaps Karin went for tea or an early dinner, Liara headed back out the door to the mess. Sure enough, Karin was standing near the drink counter, her tray of food already in hand. Liara approached, not sure how to broach the topic, when Karin noticed her and asked if she cared to join her, finishing with, "Eating alone is such a bore." "Thank you, Karin, but I'm not quite ready to eat yet. However, if you don't mind, I'll grab something to drink and sit with you for awhile...I have something I would like to ask you." Karin agreed, saying it would be nice to have some company, and for Liara to come find her, once she had made her drink selection. It was early yet, still a couple hours to the appointed time for dinner, so Liara grabbed an energy bar and some water before seeking out her friend.

Liara explained her predicament to Karin, relating her embarrassment in the commander's quarters earlier in the day. "I really have no idea what is involved. I looked up some vids, and it seems any time anyone is invited to the Captain's table, it is a formal affair. I have no such clothing available to me," Liara blushed as she continued, "and I am afraid if the commander is wearing her formal dress uniform, I'll probably not be able to eat anyway." Karin smiled, "I think you are perfectly safe, my dear. I'm sure the commander's idea of dinner in her cabin is a burger, fries, and a beer, while she works on her e-mail. Liara seemed to relax a bit, "Oh, there will be no e-mail...well, maybe later, but we do have things to discuss about Noveria... we shall see how the evening goes. Thank you, Karin. I do appreciate your advice... and your friendship. Things are getting better, but you were my savior in my first few weeks here, for certain. I cannot thank you enough for how welcome you made me feel." Liara suddenly looked sad. "You and Kaidan were my two best friends on the Normandy. I will miss him." Karin's eyes misted. "So shall we all, Liara. Kaidan was a dear fellow to many of us. As the commander said today, the Normandy will be the lesser for his loss." Karin suddenly stood. "Well, I have medical reports to finish, and you apparently have a working dinner to prepare for. I shall see you later."

* * *

Sam walked into her quarters and put the small crate under the table just inside the door. She stripped out of her dress blues, tossing them in the cleaning bin, and slipped into a comfortable pair of jeans and her old leather hovercycle boots. _God, sometimes I really miss the freedom of that bike, the road and my troubles left behind me, even if only for a little while. _ She had on a black tank-top compression shirt, and figured she'd slip something else on over it a bit later. There wasn't really much to do in preparation for dinner. Her room was relatively Spartan, so she hung clean towels in the bath and made sure all her laundry was picked up and tossed in the cleaner with her uniform. The front half of the room was fairly empty, having only the small entry table, a cabinet that acted as her bar, and her small dining set. Then there was the bath and closet, and finally her desk, bookcase and bed toward the rear of the room. With all the laundry picked up and her bed made, there wasn't really anything else to do, so she moved to her desk to see what paperwork she could finish up before dinner.

She picked up the datapad she was working with earlier and pulled open her desk drawer, pulling out her old wide-tip fountain pen and a piece of nice parchment paper. Sam felt strongly that grieving families deserved more than an impersonal electronic memo, so she always took the time to hand scribe a personal letter. Good script was a lost art to many; it was horribly old fashioned, but it's how she did every notification letter she had ever sent, and it seemed to her, the families appreciated the personal touch and understood the time and care it took to produce it. It was the least she could do. She was slow and methodical, but the letter wasn't really very long, less than a page, and it was already written; all she had to do was transcribe it from the datapad on which she had composed it earlier. She left it on her desk to dry; she'd fold it into an envelope and place it in the crate later, after dinner. She knew the personal items, the flag, and her letter would all be delivered to Kaidan's dad by some Alliance representative, most likely the Vancouver District Commander, along with the obligatory formal and legal documents and an Alliance Flag. Assuming Sam somehow pulled this whole Saren thing off, she would be sure to visit Mr Alenko in person, after the war. _I wonder how many others..._

At 1845 hrs, Food Specialist Carlton Tucks delivered the meal settings as requested, with the warming platters, wine glasses and a bottle of Thessia Red. He efficiently set the table, with a linen table cloth and napkins, china and real silverware. Truly, it was the one advantage of being the ship's commander, but Sam was still surprised at the level of service. Shepard was allowed a small private stock, and the specialist would provide private meals in her cabin on demand. She'd worked on ships with both extremes; once, with a captain who never ate with the crew, and then with Anderson, who didn't ever not eat with the crew in the mess. Samantha had stocked some stores in the private locker just in case, but this was the first time she'd used them since boarding the Normandy. The meal she had selected was a modified family favorite. _I hope Liara likes it. _She thanked Carlton for the effort and he responded, "My pleasure, Commander. Just leave the stuff here when you're done. I'll come in tomorrow morning after breakfast, while you're dirtside, and clean it up for you. See you tomorrow, ma'am!" He was gone as fast as he came, and Sam stepped over to her closet, grabbed a loose fitting over-shirt to slide into and tucked it into her jeans. She then turned on some soft classical background music, went to the table and lit a candle, and had just finished pouring the two glasses of wine when the door chirped again.

Sam placed the cork back in the wine as she yelled, "Come on in, Liara..." The Asari walked in the door, still in uniform, and it suddenly dawned on Sam that Liara had no civilian clothes. She groaned inwardly. _Sometimes you are too mission focused for your own good Samantha Shepard! _Everything she owned had been left on Therum, and they had yet to stop at a port of call where Liara would be able to get any replacements. As she walked toward the door to greet Liara properly, she started speaking, "Hey Blue, hungry?" Liara smiled, "I am, as a matter of fact. Do we work, or eat, first?" Sam laughed, "If we want the food hot, we eat, and maybe work at the same time. No rules against that in Asari culture, are there?" Liara laughed with her as she said, "Absolutely not, Samantha." Liara glanced around the room and took in the scene. "This is very nice, and you look...very...comfortable." As Liara ran her hand lightly across the open collar of Sam's emerald green shirt, she commented, "This complements your eyes beautifully." Sam's breath caught at the touch, and her body involuntarily trembled. Samantha tipped her head slightly to the side, wondering if Liara was teasing on purpose, or if she had no idea what she had just done. _Is sensuality so natural to Asari she doesn't even realize the power of a touch like that? God help me!_

Samantha took a deep breath to settle herself and introduced dinner, "I hope you have no objections to a mainly human menu for the evening. Tonight, you get a traditional Shepard family meal; Italian herb roasted chicken with rosemary potatoes and a fruit salad...and, of course, wine. In your honor, I selected a bottle of Thessia Red; not the best, there was no '47 to be found. I hope it meets with your approval." Sam flashed a huge grin as she pulled out Liara's chair, indicating she should take a seat. Liara took the proffered chair without hesitation, so Sam noted the Asari must have similar customs. Liara quipped, "I have no idea what the first half of that is, but I do know I will like the fruit salad and the wine. I'm sure the rest will be delicious," smiling as she spoke.

Samantha pulled the dishes out of the warmers, removed their covers and placed one at each setting, pulling out her own chair and sitting with Liara. "So, Dr T'Soni. Watching you come in my door this evening, however pleasant a sight you may be, it suddenly came to my attention that I have been terribly remiss in my duties of taking care of my crew." Liara looked puzzled, and Sam thought she'd been doing that to Liara a lot lately, she must learn to be a bit more straight forward with the young Asari until she learned more of human speech patterns, or at least, Sam's speech patterns. "We abandoned everything you owned on Therum, and I have not provided you opportunity to replace any of it, including civilian clothes. All I ever see you in is Alliance issue." Liara flushed, "I am sorry if my appearance does not meet your approval, Commander..." Samantha cut her off before she could go any farther. "Stop right there. That is not what I meant at all, Liara. _Seeing you actually pleases me...very...much... no matter what you're wearing_. I meant exactly what I said. I have been remiss. You have nothing of your own, and it can't be very comfortable, especially since we weren't originally outfitted for any Asari crew members. I'm sure you're missing some basic essentials. That's my bad. Next time we get to the Citadel, I'm taking you shopping. Alliance gives us a bit of a stipend for that kind of stuff, so my treat...Now, let's see how well Specialist Tucks did on our dinner, shall we?"

Sam and Liara were both very happy with the skill of chef, the meal done to perfection. Sam was not surprised, since Capt Anderson had hand-selected the entire crew. The man definitely knew what a good cook can do for the morale of the troops. While they ate, Sam kept the wine glasses full and questioned Liara on the Noveria information she collected, which, it turned out, wasn't much more than what Liara had already provided. The capital is Port Hanshan, and the main facility is run by the Noveria Development Corporation. While over two dozen companies leased space, their target would be Binary Helix, of which Saren was a key investor and Benezia his official executor. Their primary research facility was something called Peak 15, but the corporate security was very good, provided by Elanus Risk Control Services, or ERCS, and no maps of the individual research sites exist.

They finished their dinner and Shepard sighed, dreading the next topic of discussion. "Liara, with the reports of Geth activity, there is a good chance Saren or your mother may be on Noveria. I honestly want them to be there, and for this chase to be over." Liara earnestly replied, "I understand, Shepard. It would be nice if this could all end tomorrow."

Shepard shook her head. "No, Liara, I don't think you do fully understand. If Saren or your mother is there, I can't count on them surrendering. I am hoping for a peaceful resolution, but we have to face the possibility it could end...otherwise." Sam stopped speaking for a moment and just watched Liara, waiting for the archeologist to process the data and truly understand the implications of what she was saying. When she saw Liara's face go blank, devoid of any emotion, and then her eyes start to tear, Shepard knew she had realized just what they may end up facing tomorrow. Sam slowly reached across the table and clasped the blue hand nearest her. The contact startled Liara, and she looked at Sam, then closed her eyes, mouthing one word, so quietly Sam saw her lips move but no sound came from the Asari. "Goddess"

Sam didn't move, just waited for Liara to decide on her own what path she would take. The only thing Sam prepared to do was keep Liara from leaving the room, should she decide to bolt. Sam couldn't let her leave like this...now that the topic was in the wind; they had to resolve it to the commander's satisfaction, one way or another. Sam was fairly confident Liara would do no such thing, but she had to be ready, just in case. Slowly, Liara raised her head and met Samantha's eyes, speaking "If everything we fear is true, that my mother is working for Saren, then we will do what we need to do. You have not tried to deceive me, nor have you hidden any of the truth of what you have discovered. You have accepted me as an equal crew member on the Normandy, you have cared for me, and you have trusted me." Liara let out a shaky sigh and continued. "If my mother is there, and she proves to be a..." Liara could not bring herself to say the word traitor. "...if she does not deny the allegations, then we must take whatever action is necessary. I am with you to the end, Shepard." Liara's eyes pleaded for a peaceful resolution on the day.

Still holding Liara's hand, Sam stood, drawing the Asari up with her. She pulled Liara close, whispering gently in her ear, "We'll do what we can, Liara, and you don't have to come..."

"No." Liara pulled back a bit, and was adamant. "Please, Samantha. You have to take me. I have to know. If she is there, I have to be there too. I have to be able to talk to her. I might be able to convince her, to stop her... You have to let me at least try!" Tears were flowing down Liara's cheeks and it broke Sam's heart to see her so distressed.

Sam pulled her tight again, "Ok, Blue, Ok...shhhhh... it's ok...I just don't want to see you hurt...but that's already happened and I can't do anything about it. I'm so sorry, Liara...Shhhh, it's ok..." Sam held her tight, gently rubbing her shoulders, swaying easily to the music, repeating her reassurances and soothing the Asari. After the tears stopped, Sam continued to hold and comfort Liara, letting her dictate when to break the embrace.

Liara was quietly sobbing against Sam's chest, strong arms protectively wrapped around her, like she was tucked safely in a cocoon. Even though the subject matter pained her, Liara somehow still felt warm and safe. She hadn't been held like that in years, probably not since she had been in her mid 40s. The horrible irony was the very person who held her then was the very person they were talking about possibly having to kill tomorrow. The ache didn't stop, but Liara eventually ran out of tears. She tried to take a deep breath, but it hitched about half way through, prompting another circular rub and "shhhh" from Shepard. Liara was very unsure of herself at that moment and needed every bit of strength Samantha was willing to give her. The gently rocking and strong arms finally did their job, and Liara successfully took in a deep breath without catching. She exhaled a quiet, "Thank you, Samantha," and gently pushed back, looking up into those cloudy green eyes, filled with a tender concern.

Sam studied the tear-streaked face, trying to establish Liara's emotional state, and couldn't help but try to wipe away the dried tears. Sam's brow creased with worry, "You Ok?" Liara nodded a yes, while running her hand over Samantha's chest. "I think I ruined your shirt," she said with a sad smile. Sam spoke lightly, "I don't believe a few Asari tears are going to ruin a shirt...though it is pretty wet. Guess I should change it." Not willing to relinquish her hold on Liara, Sam took her by the hand, brought her to the closet and pointed at her shirts. "You pick the replacement."

Willing to accept any type of distraction, Liara played the game, pulling her hand away so she could flip through the selections; she finally pulled out two shirts. Stepping back, she held them both up against Shepard, weighing their individual merits. "This burgundy one really pulls the red of your hair, but this cerulean one... this one compliments... this one is just nice... but it doesn't compliment anything." Laughingly lightly she asked, "Why do you have a blue shirt?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders and simply said, "Because I like it." She stepped back and looked appraisingly at Liara. "Besides, blue is rapidly becoming my new favorite color...and it compliments a certain beautiful Asari at my side."

Liara blushed as she responded, "Oh, does it now? Then I think you should wear it."

Sam took the burgundy shirt and hung it back up. Turning back to Liara, she said, "And now, you get to help me change." Sam untucked her soggy shirt and started undoing the buttons, and Liara, embarrassed, went to turn away. Sam reached out, caught her shoulder, and slowly turned her back around, capturing Liara's eyes with her own. "Where do you think you're going with my shirt...? I'll be needing that." Maintaining eye contact, Sam finished unbuttoning and shrugged the shirt off her shoulders, let it slide off her arms to the floor, and took a step toward Liara. Sam still had her tank-top compression shirt on, and Liara's eyes slid off Sam's and went to those now bare shoulders; her free hand followed, fingertips tracing across Sam's chest to caress a shoulder before wandering down a strong arm that had just offered Liara such comfort.

She heard Sam groan at the caress..._By the Goddess, did just my touch elicit that response?_...and Liara's face flushed and her breath became ragged as she said, "Samantha... You are beautiful. So...sculpted... You are a work of art." Liara fumbled to get the other shirt hung back up on the rack without tearing her eyes off of Sam for even an instant; she missed, and the shirt hit the floor, forgotten. Her second hand now joined the first, and they started over again, together on Samantha's chest, starting in the center, massaging upward, then out to each side to grip the top of the trapezius muscles, craving a repeat of the sound that spoke of desire from Samantha, who was practically panting, just from the touch. Liara was so engrossed, she didn't even realize Sam had slowly backed up, until she hit the wall and no longer had anywhere else to retreat. Liara had followed, her hands again wandering over Samantha's chest, then outward, feathering across the shoulders, seeking down each arm, individually. When Liara got to the hands, Samantha interwove their fingers, captured Liara's hands, and pulled them around her, encouraging Liara to wrap Sam in a hug. It also put them face to face, and Liara looked directly into Samantha's eyes and saw a dark intensity that caused her to inhale sharply. Her stomach fluttered, and she was exhilarated, enraptured and frightened, all at the same time.

When Liara's fingertips rippled across her chest to her shoulders, Sam's eyes almost fluttered closed, and she groaned at the sensual touch, a bolt of lightning literally flashing from those fingers to the very core of her being. When she had stepped up to Liara, she'd honestly expected the Asari either to continue her retreat, or hold her dry shirt out to put on...not get suddenly bold and start to explore. The last thing Sam expected was for that exploration to include tiny biotic pulses...and she didn't think Liara even realized she was doing it. _Oh God, what are you doing? That's...not...fair! _When Liara dropped the shirt and hit Sam with both hands, those little pulses lit up her insides, wildly erotic, and had Sam practically gasping for air. The only thing she could think to do was retreat. Liara followed, and Sam hit the wall, nowhere else to go. _I've got to catch those hands before she drives me crazy for God's sake! _When Liara finally made a sweep all the way down her arms to her hands, Sam mustered enough self control to trap those fingers, and the blue tendrils of power died off, enabling Sam to get a full breath without electric running through her insides. She was so close to release it was ridiculous. Samantha was always extra sensitive when she hadn't had any type of sexual activity for a while, and it had been almost two years since she broke up with her last girlfriend, so she was definitely primed; throwing the wonderfully beautiful biotic Liara T'Soni into the mix was definitely a deadly combo! She'd pulled her into a hug, and successfully distracted those hands, but now she found herself eye to eye with the alluring Asari. Liara quickly sucked in a breath, and Sam looked at her and softly whispered, "Do you know you have the most beautiful crystal blue eyes I have ever seen in my life?" Samantha didn't give her a chance to answer before leaning forward and capturing a soft mouth in a gentle kiss.

Liara pulled one arm free from Samantha's waist and wrapped it instead around her shoulder, her hand entangled and playing in Sam's hair. Whimpering into Sam's soft lips, Liara opened her mouth, inviting Samantha to deepen the kiss, and Sam almost responded, before catching herself and pulling back, clearing her throat. This time, Sam did close her eyes, and leaned her forehead into Liara's before speaking. Sam's chest was tight, her heart pounding, hardly able to breath, but she managed to squeak out, "Blue...wait...God, I'm sorry...I...we need to talk about this...about where this is going...or...or I'm not going to be able to stop myself...I didn't think...you said you weren't ready!"

It was like a glass of cold water was splashed in Liara's face and reality slammed in; the body heat, the heavy, panting breaths washing over her, Samantha's distinctive smell of leather and musk, the throbbing pulse of nearly overwhelming desire where their hips were still pushed tightly together... Liara tried to jerk away, exclaiming, "By the Goddess, Samantha! I'm so sorry... I didn't mean... I never..."

Samantha held the Asari tight around the waist with one arm, preventing her flight, and raised her other hand to Liara's lips, stopping the sudden torrent of words. "Easy, Blue...relax...it's ok. I love holding you, but we do need to talk..."

Liara, overwrought with emotion and blushing furiously, ceased her futile attempts to withdraw, and instead, crushed back into Samantha's shoulder to hide her face, crying softly, this time flustered over her loss of emotional control. Samantha took a deep, cleansing breath, releasing it slowly, once more in control of herself, the deep pulse of desire slowly tapering off. "Hey Blue, no more tears, my love." Receiving no response, Sam scooped the non-protesting Asari off her feet and carried her to a chair, sitting down gently with Liara on her lap, her face buried against Sam's neck. Sam sat patiently in silence, holding Liara, until she was ready to rejoin the conversation. The tears had mostly stopped with the unexpected lift off her feet, and Liara's breathing finally smoothed out, but she was still too embarrassed to speak.

Sam decided to make light conversation to draw Liara back out of her shell. Sam had a smile in her voice as she spoke, "You know, when you're running on high emotion, and not analyzing every word you say, you've started using contractions." That got a twitch, but no comments from the Asari; she was probably reviewing her comments in her head, to see if what Sam had said was true. Sam continued her oratory. "And it's a darn good thing I didn't get that shirt on, or we'd be starting all over picking a new one." That got a soft thump from a free hand on the opposite shoulder from where Liara was snuggled in, but still no comment. Sam was getting warmed up now, feeling a bit of a smile forming on the lips pressing against her neck, and Sam realized Liara was now just being stubborn about not wanting to talk. _Maybe, for once, she was actually enjoying the teasing?_ "I suppose since the burgundy shirt took second place, it would be the natural follow-up, so maybe I wouldn't need your help to pick a new one..." That got a little snicker... "And you probably wouldn't be much help anyway, seeing as you've apparently lost your ability to speak." At that, Liara couldn't take any more, and she struck Samantha with a more sound thump on her shoulder as she sat up and retorted, "Samantha Shepard, you are incorrigible!" Samantha flashed a raffish grin, happy to get Liara talking.

"So...," Sam began, "I started that whole thing by teasing you. I did it to distract you, never thought you'd take me up on it. I should know better, you still have a hard time with teasing and joking, trying to figure out when I'm doing it or being serious. I just expected you to hand me the new shirt!"

Liara shook her head, "No, I knew you were teasing, and I was trying to play along...but then when you shrugged your shirt off...Goddess, I just lost my mind, got caught up in the moment. You really are beautiful, Samantha...your body is apparently a dangerous thing to tease me with." Liara looked down at the floor, a shy smile emerging on her lips.

In response, Sam laughed gently, and caressed Liara's face. "I'll keep that in mind. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known, Liara, and when you actually responded to me...it's... it's been a long time since...yeah...anyway, I almost couldn't stop...especially when you did whatever the hell that was with your biotics! God that felt great...beyond great!"

Liara sat up straight and looked at Sam, her forehead wrinkled with concern. "What thing with my biotics?" Sam laughed and tried to explain the sensation, and how she eventually had to grab Liara's hands to keep things from going too far.

Liara listened in stunned silence, finally bursting out "Samantha! That is no laughing matter! I've never lost control of my biotics before! What if I had hurt you?"

"Easy there, big Blue! There was no fear of that! You most certainly did not 'lose control' of your biotics, believe me! You knew exactly what you were doing, be it subconscious or not, they elicited the exact response they were meant to!" Liara blushed deep purple at that point, but Sam wasn't done. "And, by the way, if you didn't do it on purpose, you'd better figure it out, because it was very effective, and I just might expect some more of that!" Liara couldn't blush any deeper, so all she could so was soundly thump Sam on the shoulder and exclaim, "Samantha!" Shepard was laughing in earnest now, at the same time clutching her shoulder, "Hey, easy, I need to stay mission ready here!"

The mention of the mission instantly brought a more somber mood to the conversation, and Liara's face fell. A look of concern flitted across Sam's face. "Liara, I need to be serious for a minute, and I need you to look at me." Sam waited until she had solid eye contact, before continuing, "I need to know you can be focused tomorrow. I need to know you won't hesitate, or second guess yourself...it could put lives in danger, otherwise. I'm sorry I have to ask this of you, but I need to be sure, or I can't take you on the mission."

Liara did not flinch when she responded. "I have my past, and I have my future. I need to try to understand the first, but I must live for the second. I know my duty, Commander, and I will not hesitate at the choices I must make tomorrow. I am coming with you. You need not fear for my performance. I love you, Shepard, and I will guard you with my life. Please...Let us speak no more of it this evening."

Shepard nodded her head. "Deal. Now...uhmm... Would you mind getting up, because I'm pretty sure my leg is asleep." As she stood up, Liara laughed lightly and rolled her eyes at the perplexing being in front of her. "What am I to do with you, Shepard? You shift topics of conversation like you hot-swap weapons mods! One out, one in...no break between! How am I supposed to keep up?"

Shepard laughed as she stood and started stomping her foot, trying to bring her leg back to life. "I dunno, but you seem to be doing a pretty good tonight...besides, some of the shifts are your fault, so you're not one to talk!" Liara got such an indignant look on her face, Samantha couldn't help herself; she reached out and drew Liara in again, holding her tight; Liara did not protest and set her chin on Sam's shoulder while wrapping her arms around the commander's waist. "Oh, Sam...this just feels so good...I could stay here forever." Sam contentedly sighed, "That's the general idea, Blue. I would like that, very much." Liara stiffened a little, and queried, "Do you really mean that, Samantha?"

Sam grabbed Liara's shoulders and pushed her away so she could see her face. Liara's eyes were heavy swirls of doubt and hesitation as Sam answered her question. "I mean every word of that, Doctor T'Soni. I meant what I said about not taking relationships for granted. They are important to me...I don't 'do' casual. Is that a problem?" Sam's heart melted as Liara's eyes softened and she whispered her response, "Absolutely not, Shepard...absolutely not."

Sam glanced at the clock and was somewhat surprised at the time. She looked at Liara, "Wow, it's late... Stay for breakfast?" Liara was puzzled, glancing at the clock for herself, thinking it could not possibly be that late, could it? They had not talked all night! Shepard sensed her confusion over yet one more human saying, and explained, "Blue, it's an invitation, not really for breakfast, but to spend the night with me. We'll just sleep. I can give you one of my nightshirts to sleep in..." Sam smiled, "because I don't plan on sleeping all night in my uniform like last time you stayed here." Sam watched conflicting emotions play across Liara's face, so she followed up with one last statement. "Given what we'll be facing tomorrow, I think we can both use the mutual moral support for a good night's sleep."

Liara ducked her head a little and looked down toward the floor, whispering so quietly Sam almost didn't hear her, once again the shy archeologist. "I think I would like that." Sam grinned and grabbed Liara's hand, and started moving toward the closet as she asked, "Dare return to the scene of the crime, Dr T'Soni?" Sam reveled in the musical laugher that snuck out of the Asari's throat, content in her ability to evoke such joy, however brief it may be. Once at her wardrobe, Sam retrieved her blue shirt from the floor, throwing a disdainful look toward Liara that quickly turned to her lopsided raffish grin, and hung it back up. She pulled open one of the drawers, and pulled out a couple pairs of soft cotton gym shorts, and then dug in a separate drawer to find one of her long tail t-shirts. She quickly handed the shirt and one pair of shorts to Liara, then went back to digging for some sweats. Sam was a bit nervous over the prospect of actually having Liara in bed with her, and not just laying on top with a sheet thrown over them, so she started speaking to cover the quiet anxiety. "I think it's rather convenient we're about the same size. I'll dig some sweats up for you too, in case you get cold. You can hang on to them until we can get you shopping to get some stuff of your own...shoot, I've got tons, you can keep them as long as you like. I think it'd be pretty sexy to watch you lounging around in my stuff." Sam paused for a moment, a silly little self gratified grin on her face, picturing Liara wandering the Normandy in her N7 sweats. _Mine_. Then, she returned to her discourse. "You can have the bathroom first if you like. I even have a couple of spare toothbrushes if you want one. I always buy 'em by the six-pack, 'cuz I never know when I'll have a chance to get a new one. They're in one of the vanity drawers... feel free to dig around, you'll find everything you need." It was so quiet, Sam assumed Liara had left, so she popped her boots off and dropped her jeans. As she stepped back out of the puddles of pant legs lying on the floor, she bumped into Liara... and froze. A blue arm snaked around her waist and pulled her tight; she could feel the Asari's chest pressing into her back. _Oh, God help me..._ Liara's warm breath was caressing her neck; a soft, slightly shaky, voice tickled her ear, "Thank you, Samantha, for everything."

Sam was at a loss, so all she could muster was a weak, "Umm, sure...I mean, it's just a toothbrush...Sorry...I thought you had already headed to the bathroom." Liara giggled, "How could I? You had not finished speaking yet, and I thought it rude to leave in the middle of your...um...ramblings?"

"Ramblings? Commander Shepard does not ramble!" Samantha growled. "Alright, T'Soni, the gloves are off!" Sam spun free of Liara's hold, turning and grabbing both of Liara's arms just above the elbow, turning her and pushing her back and getting in her face. Liara was caught off guard by the speed of Sam's movements, though she saw evidence of it every time she watched the commander in battle. Liara just never expected it to be used against her. Plus, she was startled by the look of ...wildness?...that flashed through Shepard's eyes as she pinned Liara to the wall. Sam stared at her, speaking through closed teeth, "You think of my eloquent dissertation as to the benefits of us being the same size as ramblings?" Liara started to smile, realizing the utter ridiculousness of the conversation. Sam continued, "Don't even think it, T'Soni; wipe that smile off your face. I offered you clothes...to keep!" At this point, an abrupt flash of uncertainty on Liara's face was too much and Sam's facade started to crack, the edges of her forced snarl starting to twitch up into a smile, but she tried to hold out, continuing, "Hell, I offered you a toothbrush! You have any idea how personal a toothbrush is?" At this point, Sam couldn't stand it anymore, and she just busted out laughing. Liara smiled and shook her head, saying "you know, you might have been more fearsome if you weren't in your underwear." Sam stopped cold, looked down at herself and just muttered, "ahhhh, shit!" She handed Liara the sweats she had dug out, put on her shorts and grabbed Liara's hand. "Come on, I'll get you that toothbrush."

They finished up, and Sam left Liara alone in the bathroom to change her clothes in private. She tossed her dirty clothes into the cleaner bin, and then remembered the now dry letter to Kaidan's father, still sitting on the desk. She folded it carefully, placed it into the envelope, and was laying it into the packing crate when Liara came out of the bathroom. Liara watched silently as Sam sealed the crate, then turned and looked at her with glistening eyes. "Well, I'm glad that's done. Throw your stuff in the cleaner and we'll run it overnight, so it'll be ready for you in the morning."

They climbed into the bed, and Sam straddled Liara, sitting with her knees bent, legs tucked under, sitting over Liara's hips. Liara looked up at her, questioningly, and obviously nervous. Sam smiled softly and said, "Trust me," and took one of Liara's hands, gently stretching her fingers and massaging her palm. "Just close your eyes and relax." Sam worked her way slowly up Liara's arm, working any knots she found, until she reached the shoulder. While repeating the process up the other arm, she glanced at Liara's face when she heard her purr with pleasure. Liara's eyes were open, and Sam realized she was being watched. "Like it?" she asked. Liara responded quietly, "Hmm. Feels very nice, and I certainly enjoy the view as well."

Sam released the arm she was holding captive and placed her hands on each side of Liara's head; she leaned down and placed a few tender kisses around on Liara's face...her forehead, the tip of her nose, her cheek, and eventually a soft flutter across Liara's astonishing soft lips. Liara's eyes were closed, her breathing rapid, when Sam whispered onto her lips, "I love you, Liara T'Soni." Sam moved and stretched out next to Liara, propped up on one elbow, cautiously leaning against the warm body of the Asari, gently caressing whatever her hand could reach.

Liara whimpered, "By the Goddess, Samantha, what your touch...your kiss...does to me. I've never felt more safe... I've never felt more loved...than I do right now at this moment. I want to share everything with you."

"We have a lifetime ahead of us to do just that, Liara. Just tell me what you want from me and I'll do my best to provide it, I swear." Sam laid flat on the bed, and Liara cuddled in close, whispering, "Just love me, Samantha. The rest will take care of itself." They both fell into a peaceful sleep, the last thought across Samantha's mind being, _that's easy T'Soni, I already do..._


End file.
